Seven Spanish Angels
by gangsta'sgirl
Summary: Modern AU, Non-ZA in which Beth and Daryl have history that only they know about. Daryl left with his brother Merle one day and now he was back. What could happen? Besides Murder, Mayhem, and a Nation-Wide Manhunt. Rated M for Violence, Drug Use, Smut, Criminal Activity, Language, Self-Harm, Abuse, Etc. TEMPORARY HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I do NOT own or profit from these characters or this work of fiction. I hope everyone enjoys this new AU I started writing! Let me know what you think! I'm still working on "Hurt" and will have a new chapter posted today some time, so don't worry! Thanks! Also, all mistakes are my own, I edit my own work, so sorry!**_

BPOV

Beth Greene heard the whole class go quiet, which was a rarity, and lowered the book she'd been reading. She was surprised when she saw who was standing in the door way and almost dropped her book but managed to catch it awkwardly with her fingertips. No one made a peep as Daryl Dixon walked into the AP English 10 classroom. As he scanned the room Beth's eyes darted around quickly and she noticed the only empty seat was right next to her.

Dixon seemed to notice the same thing and she watched as his broad shoulders tensed before he started very deliberately heading that way. She quickly averted her eyes when he sat down and she tried to go back to reading, not wanting to draw attention to herself. But as her eyes scanned the page over and over again she realized it was futile. She couldn't begin to make sense of the typed letters that looked like a foreign language at the moment.

Luckily, the teacher, Mrs. Ingles, decided it was time to get class started and called for everyone's attention in her sharp, stern voice. As she turned to write on the dry erase board she told everyone to get out their notebooks and write a page based on the phrase "When it rains, it pours".

As Beth opened her binder she felt a slight tap on her shoulder, looking up in surprise she saw Daryl looking at her. His dark blue eyes were narrowed and she noticed dark circles under them, like he hadn't slept in a while. The whites were a pinkish color and his spiky black lashes only made that more apparent.

"Can I borrow a pencil?" He asked in a deep, gravelly voice.

His voice reminded her of the way someone sounded after sleeping for a while, like it hadn't been used in a long time. Maybe it hadn't, Daryl wasn't much of a talker, at least, not when it came to her.

Beth noticed a few people looking their way with curious stares but she ignored the looks as she reached into her white knit bag and began to rummage around. She pulled out a few small pouches before she finally found the one with pens in it. She pulled out a black ballpoint pen and held it up with a raised brow. When Daryl nodded she smiled and handed it to him, his fingers lightly touching hers.

"Thanks, Greene." He said in his deep voice before turning away and beginning to write.

Beth felt her cheeks heat up and realized she was blushing because Daryl Dixon said her last name. She shook her head slightly, her ponytail moving lightly against her back, and turned her attention back to the assignment. As she wrote, she let her thoughts wander, and they quickly wandered to the person sitting beside her. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw he had his head bent, concentrating on his own assignment.

She took the opportunity to turn her head slightly and get a better view. She didn't look directly at him but she carefully studied his profile. His brown hair hung over his eyes and he made no motion to brush it away. His face had a rugged appearance, added to by the scruff on his chin. She liked the way his lips looked, firm but soft. And oh, how soft they were.

As her mind drifted into thoughts about his mouth, thoughts she shouldn't be having at school, sitting next to him, she tried to remember where people had said he'd been the past few months. She vaguely remembered hearing a rumor about juvie or something like that. Not like it mattered, not when she was fantasizing about the way his breath would caress the skin of her throat, her chest, her abdomen. His lips would lightly caress her thighs, barely touching, teasing.

When she heard a throat clear lightly she blinked rapidly and realized Dixon was staring right at her, his head tilted to the side and his brow furrowed. Her face felt like it was on fire as she quickly looked away and she knew that her cheeks were a bright red and it was a tie between embarrassment and arousal.

Beth wanted to cover her face or hide under her desk. Maybe even fall through the floor. He'd so caught her checking him out. Oh, God, had her thoughts been written on her face? Did he know that she'd been lusting after him?

Risking a glance back at him, she noticed that he wasn't looking at her anymore but his lips were pressed into a firm line and his eyes looked dark and angry, the skin around them pulled tight. She turned back to her assignment and tried to ignore him before she did something stupid.

The bell finally rang, a shrill screech that she really hated, and Beth stood up to say something to him, anything. But before she could he was throwing her pen on her desk and leaving the room, people rushing to get out of his way. The look on his face letting them know he wasn't waiting for them, he'd just run them over if he had to.

DPOV

Daryl hated being at this place, another government building, he was always avoiding government buildings. He was beginning to really hate government buildings. And worse, he shouldn't be at this place. He was nineteen and would've graduated last year if not for his brother, Merle. Merle had screwed up his own life and here Daryl was letting Merle screw his up as well. Walking into that room had felt like torture, all those people staring, all the whispers.

Every single one of them had stopped to stare, even Beth Greene, who he'd believed at one point to be better than that. When he'd asked her for a pencil she'd been nice, though. She'd even looked worried that she'd only had a pen but smiled when Daryl had nodded. Then when he'd been writing that stupid paper he'd felt eyes on him and looked up to see those big blue eyes staring at him.

He'd tried to get her attention without anyone noticing, for his sake and hers, and when he did she'd acted like it was the worst thing in the world. Turning away and hiding her face. Of course, perfect Beth Greene wouldn't want to get caught staring at white trash, much less a Dixon, they were lower than low. That sort of thing could ruin you in this town.

He'd been angry at himself, but not sure why, then he'd been angry at Beth because she thought she was too good. She thought she was too pure, too clean, for a dirty Dixon, and she was right. The last three months had proven that, wether she knew it or not. As soon as the bell rang he'd ran out of there, not wanting to hear any of the comments he knew were already being made.

As he started walking down the road, heading home, he heard the sound of an engine speeding up and then slowing down next to him. When he looked over he saw perfect Beth Greene sitting behind the wheel of a silver Toyota Camry. He glared at her as she rolled the passenger window down, hoping she'd just move on.

"Want a ride?" She asked in her cotton candy voice.

When he just continued to glare at her she pulled the car over to the side of the road and got out. He stopped walking because, despite being a Dixon, he tried to be a gentleman and gentlemen didn't leave ladies standing on the side of the road. And Beth Greene was definitely a lady.

"Just get in the car." She said with her hands on her hips.

He tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest, knowing he could out wait her.

"Get in the damn car, Dixon." She said in a frustrated voice.

He almost laughed at her cursing but managed to keep a straight face.

"What for, Greene?" He asked, feeling irritated. "Ain't you scared to be seen with me still? What about your precious Jimmy?"

"Don't do this here, Daryl. Not now." She said in a sad voice.

"Why? Why not here, Beth?" His voice raised as he walked towards her. "You sure as hell were worried about people finding out six months ago. Knowing you let a Dixon touch you. Kiss you. Fuck you."

"You left, Daryl. Without a single word. Just left. I broke up with Jimmy and I was comin' to tell you and your trailer was just empty!" She yelled at him.

Daryl stood there, feeling stunned, not knowing what to say about her revelation. He debated on whether he should tell her that Merle had been running from an old warrant. He really had left with no explanation but at the time he didn't think it'd matter to her.

She'd been dating Jimmy when Daryl had first ran into her at a party where he had been selling some stuff for Merle. He could still remember how she'd looked at him with her teary eyes, her hands holding a bottle of Jack. There was no judgement in her eyes, even though her knew she'd seen the exchange of money for the small baggy of pills. No, there had been only curiosity. The next words out of her mouth had shocked him.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_"What do those make you feel like?" Beth asked in her choir girl voice._

_When he'd just looked at her she stood up and walked his way._

_"Do they make you feel good? Happy?" She asked him._

_Daryl looked around the dark back porch, surprised she was talking to him when someone could walk up at any moment._

_"Do you speak?" She raised her voice angrily and he scowled at her._

_"What you want, girl?" He finally asked her._

_"I want to know what those pills make you feel like." She said before sniffling._

_"You don't wanna go down that road." Daryl told her._

_"Who the hell are you to tell me what road I want to go down? You don't know a damn thang about me." Her accent got thicker as she got mad._

_"You're drunk, Beth. You need to find your boyfriend and go home."_

_She scoffed and stepped closer to him. As she leaned in she glanced at his lips and his tongue ran across the bottom one._

_"You don't know what I need, Daryl. But you can give it to me. I need to feel something." She whispered before pressing her lips to his._

_Before he could do anything her hand reached down and grabbed him through his jeans. A groan escaped his throat, the pills he'd already taken, the same ones he'd sold to that kid, making it impossible to deny her._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

Daryl shook the memories away and forced himself to turn around and keep walking. He heard the slam of a door and the squeal of rubber on pavement before Beth Greene's car shot past him and down the road. His shoulders drooped, feeling heavy, but he kept walking, knowing Merle probably wasn't home and he'd have a chance to just chill


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: I do NOT own the characters! I do NOT profit from this! Sorry this took so long but my tablet quit woekng and I had to write on my phone, which sucks! Sorry for any mistakes! I edited it myself! I hope you enjoy this! And fair warning, this is a fast-paced story! If you're wondreing about the title it's from The Highway Men (Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, etc.) and it's an amazing song! Well, enjoy and thankd for enjoying!**_

DPOV

When Daryl parked his Triumph in the gravel lot he took a minute to look at everything around him. Even though it was night, and he was already pretty well lit from drinking with Merle, he could still see pretty well, years of hunting had honed his eyesight. There was a bonfire in the distance and kids surrounded it, more kids were in the large barn where there were actual lights and music. There were tables filled with coolers and metal wash buckets filled with iced drinks.

Honestly, being lit was the only reason he was here. Beth Greene had called him, begging him to come pick her up, even though she'd avoided talking to him all week. Hearing her voice crack was what put him in motion. He finally spotted her at the same time she spotted him.

She was standing outside of the barn with her arms wrapped tightly around her. But she quickly dodged a small crowd, keeping to the shadows as she headed his way.

"Thanks." She said in a breathless voice as he motioned to the back of his bike.

When she straddled the seat he tried to ignore the familiar sensation as he kicked the bike back to life. It roared and her slim arms tightened around him as he twisted the throttle and took off in a spray of dirt and gravel.

The ride to his trailer didn't take long at his speed and soon they were walking in his front door. Merle was in the living room with a couple of his friends and some girls.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't Lil' Beth Greene." Merle said in his loud, booming voice.

To Daryl's surprise Beth ran over to Merle, who had stood up, and threw her arms around his neck.

"Merle Dixon, how I have missed you." Beth said.

Daryl tried not to feel jealous when Merle's hands moved a little low on Beth's hips. The hug started to go on a little long and Daryl was getting ready to say something, even though he had no right, when Beth finally pulled back. A few of the females in the room were glaring at Beth but she just smiled at them sweetly.

Beth sat on the arm of the chair Merle was occupying and started to talk to everyone in the room, winning them all over in a way Daryl would never understand.

Before long they were all doing tequila shots and Beth turned on the sound system Merle had stolen from someone when they were on the run. An old Alabama song started to play and Beth started dancing around the living room, singing. Daryl had missed hearing her voice, had even considered calling her a few times when he'd been gone.

A new song began to play and Beth grabbed his hand, pulling him into a dance and he recognized Luke Bryan's song Drunk on You.

She pressed her back against his chest as she says her hips to the music, she'd always been frisky when she was drinking and apparently that hadn't changed. His hands gripped her hips and he swayed with her as her head fell back on to his shoulder.

When his mouth lowered to her neck he pressed his lips against her smooth, perfect skin and smirked when he heard her breath catch in her throat. Her hands moved over his and dragged his palms over the material of her sundress, causing the fabric to slip up her thighs.

His hands were on her stomach, one on her ribs and one just under her belly button when he heard a low whistle. Looking up, he saw Merle reach over and slap some new guy in the back of his head before hissing something at him. Merle had been protective of Beth since the moment he'd met her sneaking out of Daryl's room.

*FLASHBACK*

Walking through the small trailer, he watched Beth as she looked around at the worn furniture and the various tools laying around. There were some questionable bundles in the middle of the coffee table with a couple guns and she didn't spend much time looking at any of it.

"You ain't curious?" Daryl asked her after catching her eyes as she was looking away from the Table.

"The less I know the better, right?" She said with a shrug.

"Right." Said Merle as he walked out of a door to their right. "Who's this?"

"Beth." Daryl told him as he walked to the small fridge and pulled out a beer. "She was jus' leavin'."

"Well, Beth. Welcome to The Dixon's Den of Iniquity." The man said in a loud voice with a big grin. "My name's Merle, next time you come for a visit, make yourself at home."

*END FLASHBACK*

Not thinking of the consequences, letting the alcohol and the feel of her body take over his mind, Daryl turned and walked Beth towards his room. He kept his arms around her the whole way but once he closed the door she spun around to face him.

Her lips crashed against his and he groaned at the familiar taste of her. She yanked his shirt over his head and pressed her mouth to his again before kissing her way down his neck.

She fell to her knees and before Daryl could register what was going on she had his pants undone and pulled down around his thighs along with his boxers. Her lips wrapped around the head of his dick as her eyes met his and he could feel his balls already tightening.

His hands immediately twisted into her hair as his hips thrust forward. She moaned when he pulled her hair tight and he held her still while he thrust his hips into her hot mouth. It didn't take him long before he was coming into her mouth and he felt her swallowing.

When his orgasm stopped he kept one hand in her hair while grabbing her shoulder and pulling her to her feet. He pressed his mouth to her mouth, tasting himself on her tongue when he forced her lips open. Knowing she wasn't one for gentleness, he lifted her by her waist before throwing her onto his bed.

He pushed her dress up before yanking it over her head and looking down at her. A small triangle of white lace covered between her legs, held in place by two thin strings. With a growl, he pulled her boots off before pulling one of the thin strings and ripping her panties off. She gaped at him but he just grinned as he stuffed the material into his jeans pocket. He reached a hand between her legs to make sure she was ready and felt her wetness coat his fingers.

Grabbing a condom, he rolled it over his hardness, his pants and boxers still around his thighs. He didn't bother undressing the rest of the way, or even taking his boots off, there would be time for that later.

He pushed inside of her with a groan, she was so unbelievably tight, like a glove. She planted her feet against his mattress and used It to thrust her hips against his forcefully. He pushed her knees apart and pounded into her, not caring if the people in the other room could hear the sound of their skin slapping or Beth's loud moans.

When she screamed he felt her walls clamp around him before his own orgasm hit once again. He pulled out of her after a moment and threw the used condom into the trash beside his bed. He pulled up his boxer briefs along with his jeans and turned to see Beth slipping his shirt over her head.

Daryl sat back against the wall and Beth sat against the headboard, a pillow in her lap as she twisted a lock of hair in her fingers.

"Why'd you leave, Daryl?" She asked as she stared at her lap.

"Merle was in trouble." He said simply.

She nodded quietly before finally looking at him. Her eyes were tired, sad, and he knew it was his fault.

"Jus' don't do it again."

He nodded and they layed there quietly, Just listening to the party outside the door and being near each other. Eventually, Daryl sat up and tugged her with him.

"We gotta get you home, girl." He said with obvious regret.

"Can I see you again?" She asked.

"Yeah. I think we can do that."

He borrowed Merle's truck since it was quieter and drove her home, hoping they could see each other again. He stopped a ways away from her house and she got out quietly, running across the open area before climbing the trellis under her window and disappearing inside. When he drove away he really hoped this time would be different.

BPOV

Walking Into school Monday wasn't as bad as it usually was because she knew she'd be seeing Daryl. She didn't think about some of the looks she should be used to getting. These people acted like her breaking up with Jimmy was the end of the world.

When Daryl sat down next to her in English she tried to hide the smile on her face. It was difficult when Daryl winked at her but she forced herself to keep her composure. When her phone vibrated she almost jumped Out of her skin, barely managing to play it cool.

Meet me at my house after school? I wanna take you somewhere...

Where to?

It's a surprise...

Sure!

With a silly grin on her face she slipped her phone into her bag And anxiously waited for the bell to ring. Finally it did and she shot out of her seat, earning a laugh from Daryl and a few peple turned to stare. He glared at t hem and they quickly turned their attenntion elsewhere.

She practically ran to her car, jumping behind the wheel and pulling out of the parking lot. She beat Daryl to the trailer by a few minutes and impatiently waited for him. When he pulled up he barely stopped, pointing to the back of his bike, and she immediately jumped on.

Quickly taking off, He drove for a while before turning onto a dirt road. When they came to a dead end she looked around curiously but got off. He wheeled the bike into the trees before grabbing her hand and pulling herthrough the trees. They didn't go very far before she smelled water and then they were breaking through the trees, a creek in front of them.

Daryl Began removing his clothes and Beth admired him before quickly following suit. They jumped into the cool water naked except for their grins. Swimming in the water, Beth couldn't help but be by this surprise. He'd brought her here after their second tiime together.

*FLASHBACK*

"Where are we going?" She giggled, feeling light from the pill she had taken.

"You'll see." Daryl said from in front of her.

She admired his strong back, feeling the urge to touch him, knowing she was free to. It was a very powerful feeling and he seemed to understand that she needed to feel in control of something. With a sigh she pushed the thoughts Away that wanted to drown her.

She pulled another small blue pill out of her pocket and swallowed it dry. She Didn't notice Daryl looking at her until he spoke.

"You wanna go easy on those."

Rolling Her eyes she ignored his statement.

"I ain't playin', Beth. That shit's dangerous." He said angrily.

"Fine." She huffed out, not wanting him to ruin her buzz.

When they broke through the trees She couldn't help but grin, her mood swinging quickly. She threw her arms aorund Daryl and kissed him hotly on the mouth before starting to strip.

"What are ya doin'?" He asked.

"Swimmin'." She answered with a grin before jumping in.

*END FLASHBACK*

She made her way closer to him, wrapping her legs around his waist as she moved her arms to stay afloat. He wrapped his arms around her, still kicking his legs, and kissed her deeply. They'd never discussed their feelings for each other but she knew he cared deeply.

The kiss got heated, like they all did, and soon he was slipping inside of her as she gasped his name. It was slow and sensual as the cool water lapped at their bodies, their eyes locked even when they orgasmed. She could feel him spilling hot inside of her and she was never more grateful that she was on birth control.

As the sun started to fade they got out of the water and tried to dry off but soon found themselves lost in each other again.

They finally managed to dress as the sun disappeared and they carefully made their way through the woods. Climbing onto his bike he took her to pick up her car and she drove away, a grin plastered to her face permanently.

When she pulled up to her house she saw her father, Hershel, and her sister, Maggie standing on the porch.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Maggie yelled.

Beth looked at the disappointed face of her father and her shoulders slumped. She knew her hair was still wet and she'd had to put it in a messy bundle on top of her head. With a sigh she looked at the ground, trying to come up with an answer.

"I just drove. I had a bad day." She finally said.

"Is it, Dixon?" Maggie asked. "Deputy Walsh called. He thought he saw you on the back of a motorcycle."

"No. And screw Shane, I am no concern of his!" She yelled, knowing she couldn't involve Merle or Daryl.

"Bethany Anette Greene!" Her father said in a stern voice.

"It's true! Shane has no business keeping tabs on me!" She said, deflecting the conversation for now.

"He's the deputy." Maggie said.

"Exactly! He ain't God! He ain't my daddy! And he sure as hell ain't my boyfriend!" She yelled again.

"I am your father!" Hershel said, finally raising his voice. "And I'm tellin' you that you will tell me where you were and you'll get in this house and stay in it until you do!"

Beth Stormed into the house, slamming the front door and her bedroom door in the process. She quickly pulled out her phone, typing a quick message to Daryl, telling him what had happened and telling him not to contact her unless She said otherwise. She erased all the messages and changed his contact name to Janice as she heard a knock on her door.

It opened before she could say anything and she glared at her father As he held his hadn out for her phone. She slapped it into his palm and went to her dresser, pulling out clean clothes. Without a word she pushed by him and went into her bathroom, slamming and locking that door.

The hot water felt good but did nothing to cool her anger. She quickly washed her hair and shaved before drying off and pooling on cotton shorts and a tank top. When she opened her door she saw Maggie turn around, looking slightly guilty.

"What are you doin'?" Beth asked angrily. "You're goin' through my stuff?!"

"If you would tell us the truth It wouldn't have to be this way." Maggie said.

"Fuck the truth! You should trust me!" Beth knew she was being hypocritical but she was trying to protect the Dixon's.

"What has gotten into you? Talkin' like that?" Maggie asked.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Room." Betth said through clenched teeth.

Maggie left and she closed her bedroom door. She waited calmly for the house to quiet down, knowing that someone would most likely stay awake but willing to take her chances.

After a few hours went by she listened at her door but couldn't hear anything. She quietly twisted the lock on her door before sliding her dresser in front of it, the throw rug under it keeping it almost silent. She slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt over her night clothes before carefully throwing her boots out the window. They landed with a thud and she waited to see if there was any movement.

When there wasn't she slipped out of the window and climbed down the trellis. Her feet touched the ground and she picked up her boots, not even putting them on before she took off running. She ran across the field knowing it was a quicker way to the road. When she was out of sight of the house she pulled her boots on and started walking.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I do NOT own teh characters, nor do I profit from them! I hope you guys like where this story is going! Let me know!**_

DPOV

Daryl watched Beth drive away with a sick feeling in his gut. His instincts were telling him that this was going to end badly, that it couldn't possibly go well. When he received her text the feeling got stronger. He wasn't sure what type of people Beth's family was but just as a precaution he told Merle to stash anything that was questionably legal or downright illegal. Neither of them needed prison time.

He didn't bother sending her a message back, he just waited a few hours before getting on his bike and Heading towards the farm. He stayed parked in the tree line for a while before he saw a familiar silhouette with glowing blonde hair. Cranking his bike, he pulled onto the road and waited for her to straddle the bike. He sped away with her hanging on tightly, unsure of where they were going to go, just knowing they couldn't go to his place.

Finally, he just pulled down a random dirt road and hoped for the best. He slowed the bike until finally coming to a stop. Beth got off the back and stretched As he stepped into the trees.

He came back onto the road and grabbed her hand, Pulling her under the cover of the trees. They sat on the ground and he tried to think of a plan.

"We could run away." Beth Said as she cuddled into his side.

"We could." Daryl said, knowing it'd never happen. "I'm sure your family got people lookin' for you, though, Darlin'. If they don't yet, they will by mornin'."

Beth just sighed as he tried to think about ways this could go. If he was a better man he'd leave her alone. But he wasn't. So they sat under the tree, holding each other as the night went on.

After a while his phone started ringing and he looked at the number before answering.

"How bad is it?" He asked Merle.

"It's bad, but it could be worse. Grimes and Walsh Came out here. Talked about kidnappin', stuff like that. If she ain't goin' home than y'all need ta git. I'll find ya." Merle said in a calm voice.

"She's goin' home." Daryl said without asking her.

He hung up the phone and met her baby blue eyes. She looked resigned as she stood up and offered a hand ot him. He stood up and pulled her into a kiss, needing this moment of just the two of them. The sick feeling was back triple and had him scared.

"We'll be fine." She said with a smile but he could see she was worried, too.

Getting on his bike he took her to the road that led to her house. Before letting her go he took his phone and slipped it into her pocket. She looked surprised but understanding before she turned and started walking. He saw blue lights flash and revved his bike, taking off before the police car could get close to him. In his mirror he could see Beth waving at the car frantically, trying to buy him some time. It seemed to work when the car stopped next to her and he quuickly turned the corner, out of sight.

BPOV

Things seemed to move fast as Beth saw the flashing blue lights and the police car came into view. Not giving it a second thought she threw her arms into the air and started to wave them down. Trying to buy Daryl enough time to get away. It worked and Sheriff Grimes stopped next to her, getting out of the car to check her over.

"Are you hurt? Do you need a hospital?" He asked in a gentle voice.

"I'm fine. Ccan you take me home?" She asked.

Deputy Walsh was grinning in the passenger when Rick opened the back door for her.

"You keep on with them Dixon's, you gonna get used to that." He said.

"Go to Hell." She said with a sweet smile.

"Shane." Rick barked out when the other man went to say something else.

Beth settled back into the seat, knowing she was in for it when she got to her house. The white structure came into view all too quickly and she desperately wanted to be on the back of Daryl's bike again. Grimes let her out and she looked up at her father and siblings as they stood on the porch. They all looked tired and Beth felt a little guilty for putting them through that.

"Get inside." Hershel said And she hurried up the porchs steps. "Maggie, go with her."

Beth started to protest but thought better of it, since she'd brought this on herself. She went into her room, hoping she'd find a second to hide the phone Daryl had given her. With a sudden idea she turned to Maggie.

"I need to use the bathroom. There ain't no window and only the one door so I think I can go by myself."

Maggie Glared but nodded and Beth rushed into the small room, locking the door behind her. She made some noise so Maggie wouldn't start knocking and she carefully placed the phone under the sink behind cleaning products after Making sure it was on silent.

She flushed the toilet and washed her handsbefore exiting the bathroom. Maggie was staring out of her window and Beth wondered what she was looking at. Before she could ask her father Came inot her room and looked around before looking at her. Her heart started beating a mile a minute And she forced herself not to show it.

"Deputy Walsh is going to the Dixon residence later. He's going to talk to both Merle and Daryl but he thinks There can be a conviction."

"What?!" Beth screeched. "For what?!"

"Those men deserve to be in prison. They both sell drugs and they are both grown men spending time with a seventeen years old girl." Hershel said.

"Daryl's only nineteen!" Beth yelled as tears formed in her eyes. "And Merle is only thirty!"

"So, you have spent time with them." Hershel said sadly. "I'm disappointed Beth."

"Fuck being disappointed! I don't care! I'm disappointed! How could you do something like that?! Fuck that! Get out of my room! Get out! Get! The! Hell! Out!" She yelled at Maggie and Hershel.

Maggie moved to hug her as Hershel just stared. With a scream she pushed Maggie's arms away.

"Get the FUCK away from me!" She yelled before Falling to her knees and crying, knowing she'd never see Daryl again, hoping he would take off with Merle and disappear.

She couldn't stand the idea of either of them being in prison, especially because of her. She didn't even notice when her family left her room. They'd took her door though so she couldn't close it and leave again.

DPOV

Daryl had been home with Merle all day, packing and calling people to let them know they were leaving town for a while. It was only a matter of time before the cops showed up and Merle had already said a long time ago that he wasn't going back to prison. They both knew what that meant.

So, when they heard a car pull up Merle pulled the pistol from the back of his pants and stepped to the side of the door. Someone started banging on the door and Daryl peeked out the window, recognizing Shane Walsh and Rick Grimes.

"Open the door." Rick said.

And that's what Merle did. He yanked the door open and put his pistol to Shane's head while Daryl put his gun to Rick's. They both looked startled as the brothers forced them into their trailer, removing their weapons and radios.

"You don't wanna do this." Rick said but they ignored him.

"Let us walk out. I ain't goin' back to prison." Merle said in a calm voice.

"You can go." Rick said. "Just go."

They moved around the men, opening the front door while keeping their guns on the cops, not willing to take any chances. They were out the door and Merle was heading for his truck as Daryl straddled his bike when Shane ran out of the trailer, a .22 in his hand. He aimed at Merle but before he could pull the trigger the brothers both fired their guns and he went down, one in the head, one in the chest.

They took off before Rick could call for help and Daryl yelled at Merle to call Beth and tell her what happened. She told him not to leave her again, made him promise, so he'd let her decide if she wanted to be on the run with them after they killed Shane.

BPOV

Beth had retrieved the phone when everyone went to sleep and stared at it, waiting for Daryl to call. The cops should have been to his house by now. It lit up and she answered immediately, listening to Merle as he explained what had happened. Shane Walsh was dead. When he asked her what to do she told him to come get her and he told her to listen for Daryl's bike. She just couldn't live without him. If this was the way it had to be then so be it. She was ready for the ride.

When she heard the low rumble of an engine outside she threw her bag down before lifting her leg over the window sill and climbed down the tresill under her window. Her feet hit the ground and she lifted her bag over her shoulder just as she heard the front door open and not giving it a second thought she took off running.

There was a loud bang and then she heard her father, Hershel, shouting as Daryl pulled up to the gate. He normally didn't get near the house but he must have seen her running, and this was an emergency situation. She hurriedly threw her leg over the bike, straddling it and looked back at her father and her sister. She felt a pang of guilt and sadness, almost telling Daryl to stop. Almost. But soon the bike hit the main road and the house was out of sight.

She saw headlights behind them and almost had a heart attack until she recognized Merle's truck. He beeped his horn and she gave him a smalĺ wave beofre gripping Daryl's waist with both ams and resting her cheek between his shoulder blades. She was scared but she felt like she'd made the right decision. As Daryl placed his hand over hers she felt calmer, knowing they were together was enough right now.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: I do NOT own any of the characters, all places are fiction, and I do NOT profit from any of this. I am so sorry that it's been so long since I updated either of my stories but I'm hoping everyone will forgive me and that this chapter will make up for it. My tablet broke and I just got a new laptop so regular updates will definitely be happening again! Thanks to everyone for all the favorites and reviews! If you have any questions, comments or suggestions feel free to let me know! Thanks again and I hoe everyone enjoys this chapter!**_

DPOV

The sky was starting to get light, purple and pink smeared against the horizon, by the time Merle turned his blinker on and turned down a dirt path, almost hidden by overgrown trees and shrubbery. Daryl followed him and could feel Beth behind him, twisting and turning, trying to get a look at their surroundings.

There wasn't much to see for a few miles and then they came to a clearing with a small, dusty looking cabin in the middle of it, a garage sat a ways behind the cabin with a chain and padlock keeping it closed. Merle turned off his truck first and Daryl quickly followed suit, motioning for Beth to get off the bike. He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked towards the cabin and her arm went around his waist.

Merle was already on the porch when they made it to the steps and he opened the door before stepping inside. Daryl and Beth followed, closing the door behind them. Going into the kitchen, they found some cans of vegetable and beef stew. Beth washed a boiler and turned on the gas stove to start warming the food. Daryl pulled some bowls down out of a cabinet and started to wash them while Merle cleaned a few spoons so they could eat.

"We should be fine here for a day or two." Merle said as his eyes darted restlessly around the room, after he finished with the spoons. "Beth, why don't you go through the rooms, see what can be packed to take with us when we leave. We'll help you sort through it after we put the vehicles away and eat."

"Sure." She said before going straight for the pantry and starting her search.

Daryl watched her for a minute, hating that she was going through this with them but loving that she was there at the same time. It was obvious that their desperate situation hadn't fully registered with her yet. She was either a victim or an accessory and he knew she wouldn't be willing to play the victim. It frightened him to think about what could happen to her. Being on the run for murder wasn't exactly something to play around with.

Merle tapped his shoulder with his fingertips and Daryl looked at his older brother, seeing the stress and sadness in his eyes. Daryl pushed the bad thoughts out of his mind, focusing on the fact that they were all together and unscathed for now, as he led the way outside to put his bike in the garage.

His uncle's truck was under a tarp in the dark building and after Daryl parked his bike he removed the tarp and popped the hood. It lifted with a groan and he started looking over the engine. Maybe they could take this truck and leave Merle's truck here. Hide the bike in the back somehow, or leave it behind. They wouldn't be looking for this truck, it'd been parked since his uncle had died ten years ago, but Merle had kept up the maintanance on it over the years.

After Merle parked he walked over to Daryl and studied the engine with him. He got onto the ground and slid underneath it and after a few moments came back out and stood next to Daryl.

"It looks to be okay. We'll have to work on it a little but it should be ready to go by morning." Merle looked over Daryl before glancing at the cabin. "Why don't you go check on Beth and I'll get started."

Daryl knew Merle was giving him some space and time to be alone with Beth and he was grateful. He needed to be sure Beth was okay, that she wasn't regretting coming along with them. If she was then he needed to find a way to get her back to her family.

When he stepped into the cabin he couldn't help but smile. Her back was turned to him as she turned the burner on the stove to it's lowest setting. She'd pulled a radio out of somewhere and now had a country station playing as she danced and sang along. He watched her denim clad hips sway and knew he owed Merle for giving them this time alone. Who knew when they'd be able to be alone again.

Quietly as possible he walked across the old wood floor and placed his hands on Beth's hips. She jumped slightly and looked over her shoulder before smiling at him. She leaned back a little and gave him a peck on the lips before turning back to the stew and stirring it with a wooden spoon. It suddenly felt extremely domestic as he held her while she cooked.

He slid his arms more fully around her waist and put his chin on her shoulder as he swayed with her to the music. He wasn't the hugest fan of country music, he was more a classic rock type guy, sometimes southern rock, but he knew she liked country. In the past she'd even convinced him to enjoy it, especially when she danced for him.

The memory of some of those dances was enough to have him getting hard against her backside. He knew she noticed because suddenly she was pressing back against him and he was trying to hold back a groan. He turned his head slightly and pressed his lips to the space where her jaw met her earlobe. She tilted her head to the side, giving him better access.

"What about your brother?" Beth asked him in a voice gone low.

"He's gonna be busy outside for a little while." Daryl told her in an equally low voice.

He loved it when her voice got husky like that, when it got low and a little bit deeper. Using his arms that were still aorund her waist, he pulled her back from the stove and flipped the burner off. Daryl turned them around and walked her out of the kitchen and through the living room to a small bedroom at the back of the cabin.

He let her go and closed the bedroom door before turning back to face her. She had turned around to face him and her skin was already flushed, her breath already fast and uneven. With a smirk he pulled her towards him until their bodies collided and he fused his lips to hers. Their tongues battled and he couldn't stop a moan from escaping as he tasted her mouth.

Her arms went around his neck and gripped the back of his t-shirt as his hands slipped underneath her shirt. His hands kneaded the muscles of her back before drifting up to her shoulder blades. When no cloth was felt he stepped back a litle ways and looked down the front of her body to see she wasn't wearing a bra. He knelt in front of her and pushed her shirt up until she grabbed it and pulled it over her head.

Beth gasped when his lips touched her stomach and he tried not to smirk as he nibbled at the skin above the denim of her shorts. Her head fell back as his tongue traced swirls over the soft skin and she moaned softly. Daryl slipped the button open on her shorts and dragged them down her legs along with her panties. She stood before him, completely bare and he couldn't hold back his grin at seeing her looking so perfect. He placed a soft kiss on the skin covering her hipbone before moving to the smooth, bare skin between her legs. He kissed the skin, barely a brush of his lips, wanting to take his time bacause he wasn't sure when he'd be able to be alone with her again.

As he used his tongue to trace her slit, Beth gasped and he felt her knees start to give out. Daryl gripped her hips before sliding his hands over her ass and down to the backs of her thighs. He dug his fingers into the flesh as he used his tongue to separate her lips. She gasped again and the breath hitched in her throat. Her sweet taste was almost enough to get him off without any other contact. He teased her a little more before sealing his lips around her clit and sucking it into his mouth. She cried out and her hands tunneled through his hair, gripping and pulling as she rocked her hips.

His skin felt tight and his blood felt like lava as he moved back and rose to his feet. Beth whimpered but he kissed her hard before she could voice her protests. Walking forward caused her to step backwards and she sat down abruptly as the bed met the backs of her knees. She crawled backwards up the bed and Daryl followed her before finally covering her body with his own. He was still fuly dressed and when she opened her legs, cradling him between her thighs, he was grateful for that last bit of separation.

Beth, on the other hand, wasn't happy he noticed, as her hands shoved at his shirt and yanked at the buttons on his jeans. He never knew button-fly jeans were so easy to open but when Beth gave one hard tug all the buttons popped loosed. She made a satisfied noise in the back of her throat as she started to shove the material down his hips. Before she got too far Daryl pulled back and looked down at her.

"Patience." He said with a smirk. "You know it's a virtue, right?"

"I'm not feelin' very virtuous right now." She smirked at him.

He sat up and toed his boots off before pulling his shirt over his head and dropping his pants. Standing in front of Beth, in just his boxer briefs, he tried not to blush as she looked him over with heat in her eyes. It always made him a little self-conscious when she looked at him like that, even though she did it frequently. He pushed the underwear down his legs and crawled back up the bed and layed next to Beth, propped up on one arm as she put her head back down on the bed.

Looking into her blue eyes, Daryl tried not to think of all the things that could go wrong, of all the ways that she could be hurt, of the light going out of her eyes, of blood painting pavement. Some of it must have showed in his eyes because Beth reached up and cupped the side of his face with one small hand.

"We'll be okay." She said.

Then she was lifting up, pressing her lips to his and making him forget, temporarily, the dire situation they were in. Her lips were soft and inviting as he rolled on top of her, covering her body with his again. His hips pressed hers into the mattress as he kissed her, pouring all of his feelings into her with that one gesture, hoping she understood that he loved her.

She opened her legs once more and he was, again, cradled between her thighs, nothing separating them this time. He leaned back from the kiss so he could look into her eyes as he entered her tight, wet heat. Her pupils were dilated, her eyes almost black as she arched underneath him and cried out breathlessly. He clenched his jaw as she tightened around him, her inner walls convulsing.

When he was settled all the way inside of her, skin to skin, he took a moment to study her face again. The curve of her cheek, the slant of her jaw, her delicate chin. His eyes moved over her pink, swollen lips, her small, cute nose and to her large, beautiful eyes. He let his gaze skim down her face, over her delicate throat, the hollow of her throat and down to her chest. His eyes met hers again and she nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly, and he slowly, so achingly slow he was sure he'd pay for it later, he rotated his hips.

Beth moaned and raised her hips in perfect sync with his, beginning a dance they'd done hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. As he moved inside of her he kept eye contact, wanting to memorize the way she looked, wanting to watch that moment of perfect abandon slide through her eyes before spreading through her body. And as that moment hit he contnued staring into her eyes, letting her see his own moment of abandon, trying to tell her that he belonged to her, only her, forever, however long that would be. And praying she understood.


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: I do NOT own any of the characters or locations. I do NOT profit from this work of fiction. That being said, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! I did my best with the editing, but I did it on my own, so all mistakes are mine. I tried to make this chapter longer and better for you guys! I hope everyone gets their questions answered in this chapter, at least some of them. If not, let me know and I'll see what I can do! I do have some personal experience with certain issues (not all) in this story so I can say based on individual personalities, it's pretty spot on. But I really hope everyone enjoys this story, I have so many great plans for it! Any questions, comments, suggestions, or criticisms, let me know! "Hurt" will be updated sometime between tonight and Thursday! Thanks for the favorites and reviews!_**

BPOV

Sitting in the middle of the Dixon brothers wasn't so bad as the trio made their way through winding back roads in their recently acquired black Chevy with an extended cab. Beth was extremely appreciative of the extended cab because it had one long seat where someone could lay down if they were tired while someone else drove. All three were awake right now as they left their cabin and Statesboro, Georgia behind.

Beth was surprised to learn they were only about four hours away from Senoia but Merle and Daryl figured they were far enough away that they had some breathing room. No one had known about their uncle's cabin so no one knew to look there. At least not right away. They'd decided to move on after the first night there and they'd left Merle's old beat up truck locked in the garage. Daryl's bike was loaded in the back of the truck but there was a camper over the bed so it was safe from prying eyes.

With the windows rolled down Beth had been forced to wear a hat to keep her hair from her face but the brothers had convinced her that the baseball cap made her look adorable. She'd smiled and blushed before sliding on a pair of large sunglasses and leaning back in the seat. She'd managed to convince them that stopping in Savannah wasn't a bad idea. It wasn't like they had a schedule to keep. Running from the cops kind of made it impossible to make plans other than don't get caught.

At the last second Beth remembered that she needed a bathing suit since they were going to the beach so Merle agreed to stop by one of the shops on the strip. They didn't have money to throw around on trivial things so they came up with a plan. When they pulled into the parking lot of a shop called The Cove Beth slipped the hat off of her head and shook her hair out around her shoulders. She kept the sunglasses on and slipped over Daryl's lap before getting out of the truck.

Her cutoff shorts hung low on her hips and stopped just below her butt and she had on a crop top that showed off her smooth, flat stomach. She didn't have much in the chest area but in her experience with guys, boobs were boobs. But she also knew how to accentuate the parts of her body that looked the best. So, her stomach was showing and her shorts cupped her butt nicely and her legs looked miles long even with cowboy boots on that reached mid-calf.

When she stepped into the air conditioned store she removed her sunglasses and looked around, being sure to lift her arm and run her fingers through her hair, causing her shirt to ride up slightly. As luck would have it there was a guy behind the counter and he looked to be in his early twenties. She smiled at him as she moved around the store looking at some of the clothes and bathing suits. She picked up a few bags and pretended to inspect them, managing to "drop" a few. She carried a few of them around the store with her, like she was going to but them and started looking through the clothes and things, studying them before strategically placing the ones she wanted in one of the bags hanging from her arm.

After a short while she dropped the bag under a rack close to the door and carried the other empty bags with her as she walked over to a wall display and tried to look confused or at least deep in thought. When the cashier came over to her she looked up and smiled while surreptitiously glancing out the door. Merle and Daryl were getting out of the truck and looking around the empty parking lot. They didn't need an audience for this particular performance.

"Need help with anything?" The cashier asked her with a smile.

"Not really. I'm jus' lookin'." She said with a bright smile, using her Southern Belle charm.

She heard a ding over the door and looked over her shoulder to see Daryl angrily stalking towards them. He frowned at the cashier before turning back to her.

"What's takin' so long?" He asked in an irritated voice.

"I was just lookin', Baby." She said in a placating voice.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked the cashier who started to stammer. "You talkin' to my girl?"

"No. I was just trying to help her. I work here." The guy quickly said.

With a quick glance over her shoulder she saw Merle getting into the truck with the bag and she turned back with a smile.

"Let's jus' go, Baby. Sorry for the trouble." She said before putting the empty bags down and pulling Daryl towards the door.

They got into the truck and quickly pulled out of the parking lot with Beth grinning as she threw the bag into the backseat and kicked her boots off before propping her bare feet on the dashboard in front of Daryl, her back leaned against Merle's side and Daryl's hand on her thigh, fingers tracing circles. Life with the Dixon's was going to be just fine.

"If you boys feel up to another game maybe we can get some new clothes, not jus' beach stuff." She said with a smile as the wind blew through the cab.

"Maybe after the beach, Klepto." Merle said as they passed a sign advertising Tybee Island.

When they pulled into a parking lot for the beach the brothers slipped out of the truck to give Beth privacy as she changed into her new light blue bikini. She quickly tied the strings around her neck and back for the top, liking the way the little bit of padding in the halter style pushed her breasts together and gave her a little bit of cleavage. She adjusted the strings on the tiny bottom, it was really just a small diamond shape in the front and a slightly larger diamond shape in the back held together by crisscrossing strings. She pulled her shorts back on over the bikini and put her shirt back on before getting out of the truck barefoot.

She handed Daryl the swimming trunks she'd gotten for him and handed Merle another pair. Daryl changed first and then stood in the parking lot with Beth while Merle changed and then they all walked down to the beach together, towels still in the stolen beach bag. The beach was almost empty and Beth dropped the bag before quickly stripping down to her bikini before running straight for the water, excited to feel the ocean waves against her skin. She figured they only had a couple more months before the weather started to get cooler and she intended to enjoy her day at the beach.

Daryl and Merle quickly joined her in the cool water and they all laughed as they took turns pushing each other around. Beth managed to get thrown in the water the most because she was too small to budge either of the men and when she tried they would either gang up on her and throw her in or the one she was trying to dunk would just lift her and throw her.

DPOV

Everything felt surreal. Killing Shane Walsh. The past few days. The past few hours. Nothing felt quite real. Especially Beth Greene being on the run with them. He'd known her his whole life, or at least known of her, and she'd always been such a sweet girl. Innocent and pure, kind to everyone she met and never judgemental. She was still sweet and kind and she still didn't judge people, but she'd stopped being innocent and pure when her mother and brother died. He'd, of course, heard about the accident. The whole town had. But when she'd told him herself he could understand why she changed. She hurt. Or maybe it was when she got mixed up with him and Merle that her purity and innocence got stripped away.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_"What the hell do ya think yer doin'?" He yelled when he walked into his front door and saw Beth sitting on the couch with Merle._

_There were two white lines of powder on the coffee table and Beth had a short straw in her hand. She looked at Daryl like he was the one who'd lost his mind and turned back towards the table. Without a word, he'd stalked over to her and grabbed her upper arm, yanking her to her feet. He grabbed the hand that held the straw and pried it from her fingers, tossing it to the side, not caring where it landed._

_"What the fuck is this?" He yelled at her as he turned her to face the table. "And don't ignore me or tell me it's nothin'!"_

_"I don't owe you!" Beth yelled back as she tried to pull away. "I don't have to explain myself to you!"_

_He looked down at the ground and nodded his head slowly, trying to hold back his anger and he couldn't, his grip tightened on her arm and he started walking towards the front door. She tried to resist him and he just pulled harder. She stumbled against him and he caught her with an arm across the front of her body._

_"Daryl, let me go!" She said in a high-pitched voice._

_She tried to struggle against him and he used his other hand to grab her jaw, forcing her to look at him. He could see the skin his fingers pressed into turning red, then white and he knew she'd probably have bruises. There was a hint of fear in her blue eyes along with the defiance._

_"You're hurtin' me!" She said in a voice wracked by nerves. "Let me go, I'll leave."_

_Merle stood up off the couch when Beth said Daryl was hurting her and Daryl glared at him. He knew he was looking at his brother but right now all he could see was an enemy._

_"Don't you fuckin' think about it, Merle. I let you get away with a lot of shit, but this-" He couldn't finish, recognizing the feeling of betrayal in his chest. "Don't even fuckin' speak."_

_Daryl turned towards his room, still holding onto Beth. He pushed her through the doorway and slammed the door behind him. She didn't move, just looked at the ground and he knew he'd hurt her. That he'd scared her. Pissed at himself he slammed his fist into the wall, breaking the plaster and leaving a hole in the wall. He saw Beth jump and flinch away and he hated himself._

_"What were you doin', Beth?" He asked her in a deceptively calm voice._

_"Daryl-" She started to say._

_"Tell! Me!" He yelled at her._

_"It was a pill! Okay? I don't know what kind!" She said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't do any of it!"_

_"Why? Why would you do somethin' that stupid?" He asked her._

_"Because, because, I don't know!" She broke down crying after the last word left her lips. "I don't know, Daryl. I just wanted to feel something good. Somethin' better than all of this guilt and pain!"_

_She sat down on his bed and tried to wipe the tears from her face but more kept falling._

_"Doin' stuff like that, Beth? That's gonna kill you one day." Daryl said, scared for her, scared that he'd led her down this path of self-destruction because he was selfish and didn't say no that first night._

_"Maybe that's what I deserve. I feel dead, all the time. I was supposed to die in that car." She said._

_"What car, Beth? What are you talkin' about?"_

_"I know you've heard about the accident. Where my mom and brother died. The whole town knows. That I was drivin'. That I looked away from the road. To yell at Shawn and my mom, about them being over-protective. I killed them over a stupid argument and everybody knows it." She told him._

_*END FLASHBACK* _

He pushed that memory away as he finished his beer and got up to go to Beth who was on the dance floor, crooking her finger at him. As his eyes drifted over her body he was reminded of lyrics he'd heard somewhere "You taste like Heaven, but, God knows, you're built for sin". That was Beth Greene, on the dance floor in a dark, smoke-filled bar, wearing a white crop top and denim shorts. Her sun-kissed skin was accentuated with coconut lotion that made her shimmer when any light hit her. She had on her ever-present tan cowboy boots and her hair was done in what she called beach waves.

When he finally made it to her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kept dancing, forcing him to move with her. He didn't mind, as he let his hands drift over her waist, across her bare lower back, along her hips. They'd lost track of Merle, but he wished he could find him, so he could take Beth back to their hotel room. Instead, he settled for dancing with her on the dark dance floor. Forgetting about the people around them, he let his hands slide down her back, over the swell of her ass, to the backs of her thighs. He moved his hands back up slightly, his palms cupping the bottom of her ass and his fingers sliding along the silky skin of her inner thighs.

He could feel her heat against his fingers and let himself touch her, ever so lightly, and she moaned in his ear. His lips went to the curve of her jaw and he pressed light kisses against the pulse there. His teeth grazed her skin and his tongue followed, soothing the scrapes. His fingers moved up a little higher and she was almost panting in his ear, on the middle of the dance floor, in this dark, smoke-filled bar. His fingers slipped under the edge of her shorts and he could feel her arousal dampening her panties.

When her hips twitched against his, he took notice of his own painful arousal. He was ready to fuck her. Right here. In the middle of the dance floor. In this dark, smoke-filled bar. And everyone else be damned.

Slowly, Beth stepped away from his hold. He looked at her, confused, but she smirked at him and grabbed his hand. weaving her way through the crowd effortlessly, she made her way to the door leading outside. They turned the corner of the building, making sure no one would stumble upon the by accident, and Beth yanked Daryl to her in a rough kiss. He could taste Jack Daniel's on her lips, her tongue, as she walked forward, pushing him until his back was against the brick wall. He gripped her ass in his hands, thrusting his hips against her, but it wasn't enough and he quickly switched their positions.

He quickly unbuttoned her shorts and pulled them off of her, leaving her boots and panties on. She grabbed the denim from him and held it tightly in her fist as he undid his own pants and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he freed his erection from his boxers, keeping his pants pulled up enough so that his bare ass wouldn't be showing. Beth slid her panties to one side and he impaled her on his dick. She moaned loudly and it only aroused him more, knowing someone could hear her and come check.

As he pounded into her, she used one hand to steady herself while the other reached for her clit, rubbing circles as he pounded into her. Her walls clenched tight around him and soon he was biting down on her pulse point as he came inside of her.

"Shit, I'm sorry." He heard a familiar voice say and then Beth squeaked.

He looked over his shoulder and Merle was standing at the corner of the building, turned to the side and staring up at the sky. Daryl couldn't help but laugh as Beth tried to hide her face against his chest. He pulled out of her and lowered her feet to the ground, fixing his jeans and standing in front of her while she put her shorts back on. He was still laughing because Beth couldn't hide forever. They were all staying in the same hotel room, stuck with each other for who knew how long.

*BACK IN SENOIA*

RPOV

Rick threw his jacket in the passenger seat of his car and loosened his tie. His son, Carl, and his pregnant wife, Lori, were in Lori's car because they were headed home. But Rick had business to take care of, so he was on the way to Hershel Greene's house. Pulling away from the cemetery where they'd just buried his partner, Shane Walsh, he turned towards the outskirts of town and tried not to think about how things could have went differently. Of course, that was all he'd been thinking of. How he'd tried to tell Shane not to go onto the porch, how he'd run after Shane and saw him fall to the wood porch. Blood was splattered on Rick's uniform and he couldn't move, didn't even see the Dixon brothers drive away. He was too busy looking into the unseeing eyes of his partner, his friend.

When he pulled into the driveway of the Greene's farm, the oldest daughter, Maggie was already sitting on the porch. Her knees were pulled to her chest and her arms locked around her shins as she stared at nothing. He knew that she'd been close to her little sister, Beth, and this situation had to be hard on her. As he got out of his car the screen door opened and Hershel stepped outside with another man behind him. Rick recognized Glenn Rhee, Maggie's boyfriend.

"Rick." Hershel said by way of greeting.

"Hershel." Rick said.

They stood silent for a moment as Rick tried to think of how to start. It was a delicate situation. Either Beth was kidnapped by murderers, or she was an accomplice to murder, aiding and abetting, fleeing the scene of a crime, and a long list of other felonies. He knew that Hershel knew all of this but he wasn't sure if he could bring it up without things getting out of hand. He finally decided to approach Hershel as the friend he'd always been.

"I don't know what to tell you, Hershel. We don't have any leads yet. We don't know anything. But, if we put the information out there, we'd have a better chance." He said.

"What do you mean, put the information out there?" Hershel asked in a tired voice, like he knew what was coming.

"Hershel, you're my friend. I'm comin' to you with this because of that. We need to get this in the news. Papers, television, all of it. We don't have the resources on our own, but if we started a manhunt, we would have access to other's resources."

The old man looked around his farm, mouth working, and then he let out a sigh. "I don't know if I can go along with that."

"Hershel, it's only a matter of time before it's out of your hands and mine. I'm lettin' you have a say in it now. But if we don't find something out soon, well, you won't have any control over what they say about your daughter."

"She's my daughter, Rick. And a minor."

"Not now, not involved in a case like this. People in town are already talkin', sayin' they saw her with the youngest Dixon over a year ago. That they've had some kind of relationship goin' on." Rick said, trying to get Hershel to completely understand where the media would take this. "If you don't say somethin' first, the news will tear her character apart. She'll be guilty before she's even found, Hershel."

Maggie made a noise somewhere between a sob and a gasp. When Rick looked over at her, she began to cry and lifted a book from her lap. She handed it to Glenn and nodded as he gave her a questioning look. Hershel looked confused as Glenn handed the book to Rick.

"It's all in there. That's Beth's diary." Glenn said in a low voice. "I don't know if it's all the details. But it's enough to understand their relationship."

Hershel gaped as Rick nodded his thanks and said his goodbyes. It looked like he'd have some reading to do. A seventeen years old girl's diary. He could honestly say it was one thing he'd never done before.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: This is a short chapter but a lot has been going on. Sorry it took so long to get this out. More should be coming soon. I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Things might get a little more serious coming up. Thank you to everyone for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following. Hope you enjoy! Let me know.**_

BPOV

They were in another small town, another bar, in another state. Tennessee to be exact. They'd left the hotel in Savannah the morning after Merle caught them behind the bar. He hadn't brought it up yet but Beth knew he would so she tried to prepare herself.

They'd all silently agreed to not discuss the reason for their impromptu road trip for now. They were just trying to pretend they were just on the road and they were going to have as much fun as possible. Beth wasn't sure what their futures held in store for them. And sometimes, when she was taking a shower or falling into that state between asleep and awake, it would give her a sick feeling in her gut. How could there be a good outcome to this? It was prison or death, as far as she could see. And she knew what Merle would choose. But Daryl? Did she want him to surrender? Did she want him in prison? Did she want him to die? Did she want to die?

As she ran a finger over the scar on the inside of her wrist she remembered a time when she thought she wanted to die. After Daryl and Merle had left town, when she was sober again. When she had no one. Or she thought she had no one.

"Shit." She heard Daryl say next to her.

She looked towards the sound of shouting and saw Merle standing between a small red head and a man in a cowboy hat. The woman looked like she had tears on her face and one of her hands was holding the side of her face. Beth felt her heart begin to pound as the cowboy started to yell and walk back towards the door, a few of his friends going with him. Merle, being Merle, was yelling back and following, too. Daryl jumped up and pushed his way through the crowd, headed for Merle, Beth hot on his heels.

A large group spilled out of the doors, people wanting to watch the excitement. When the cowboy swung on Merle, Daryl ran over to the man's friends. Merle ducked the punch and came up with a hay-maker, the cowboy's feet were knocked from under him and Merle followed, not stopping the assault on the man's face.

Daryl was going toe to toe with another guy when Beth noticed someone coming up behind him with a bat. She knew she wouldn't be much help, she was only five-four and barely weighed a buck ten. Thinking quickly, she ran to their truck and reached in the back, finding the spare chain that men always seemed to carry in their trucks, and dragging it out.

She hurried back to the fight, wincing when she saw the bat connect with Daryl's ribs. Luckily, the guy didn't know how to swing or Daryl would've been in bad shape.

"Daryl!" She yelled and started to throw the chain before he even looked at her.

He glanced up and managed to catch it, getting hit in the jaw by a fist in the process. without missing a beat, he swung the chain around, bringing it around to smack across one man's face. When Beth could tell he was getting the upper hand she ran back to the truck, thankful they had a spare key hidden under the wheel well. She cranked the engine and spun tires out of the parking spot, fishtailing as she headed towards the fight, beeping the horn at anyone in her way.

Somebody was bound to call the cops and they had to be long gone before that happened. She slammed on the brakes, the heavy truck sliding in the gravel before coming to a stop close to the fight.

"Get in!" She yelled out the driver's window.

The Dixon brothers jumped to their feet and ran to the passenger side, jumping into the truck and she hit the gas before the door was even closed. She raced out of the parking lot and they could hear the wail of a police siren in the distance. As she pulled into the parking lot of the hotel her hands shook, adrenaline and anxiety knotting her stomach and making her feel sick.

"Keep the truck runnin'." Merle said as he jumped out of the passenger seat.

Daryl pressed a quick kiss to her mouth and it caused her bottom lip to tremble as she watched him get out and disappear into the hotel room. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted them coming out the door with their bags in their hands. They threw everything into the back seat and Beth pulled out of the parking lot. There was no sign of police lights in the rearview mirror so she eased off the gas slightly, still shaking.

After a while she started to shake so badly that she ahd to pull over on the side of the road. Merle jumped out of the truck and headed for the driver's side as her and Daryl slid across the seat. Daryl wrapped his arms around her and she lay her head on his chest as Merle took off into the night again. When he placed his free hand on her knee she put her hand over his and held onto him. She knew without a doubt that she couldn't lose these two. No matter what.

The adrenaline began to wear off and she felt her eyes closing, exhaustion beginning to take over as Daryl held her. She let herself feel safe and began to doze off, leaning all of her weight on him.

DPOV

When Daryl felt Beth go completely slack in his hold he looked down at her and let himself breath a sigh of relief. His ribs ached from the bat that had hit them and his jaw was sore but otherwise he felt fine. He didn't know where they were going from here but he hoped they could figure out a plan. They would have to stay away from the general public for the moment.

"Go on and get some rest, Baby Brother." Merle said into the dark, quiet interior.

Daryl nodded and carefully leaned the back of his seat back as far as it would go. Beth stirred slightly but didn't wake up and he managed to manuever a thin blanket over the both of them before closing his eyes. He felt himself drifting as he held tight to his girl and breathed her in. He needed to figure someething out. He couldn't lose her. They needed to come up with a plan instead of just running around, partying and getting in trouble. As a plan began to form he let sleep pull him under.

*BACK IN SENOIA*

RPOV

_~Today was hard. I tried to go to school but everyone stared. Finally I just left. When I got to Daryl's some girl was walking out their front door. Clinging to Daryl. I know now that he was trying to push her away but at the time that wasn't what I saw. Not at first. So, I stomped through their trailer, ignoring Daryl and sitting by a very high Merle. I'd snatched a pill off of the table and took it without asking what it was. Does it really matter? It did that time. Turns out it was ecstasy and after a while I wasn't even mad at Daryl anymore. No. I was definitely not mad at Daryl. The sex. Oh, God. The sex was great. Merle eventually left. Said he was tired of hearing us. I could only laugh at the time. Now, I'm embarassed. At the moment I can feel my face heating and turning red. We'd fucked so many times every step I take hurts. But I want more. I can't help it. This thing with Daryl. Whatever it is. I want more of it. I'm scared that I love him. But no one knows we even talk. Especially Jimmy. Poor Jimmy. I need to break up with him before he gets destroyed in this mess. This storm. It's not the drugs. It's not the sex. It's the way I can talk to Daryl. The way he listens. The way he yells at me when I do something stupid because he doesn't want me in this life. But he won't say no. He said he's scared I'll go somewhere else. To someone less trustworthy. He does the best he can.~_

Rick tried to control the blush on his cheeks as he read one of the entries in Beth's diary. He'd have never guessed that she was seeing the Dixon boy, much less doing the graphic things she wrote about. He tried to read those pages as fast as he could but he couldn't skip them because they could say something important. He was embarassed that he had to read this, that Maggie had already read this and knew what he was reading. He was glad Hershel hadn't read it. No one needed to hear these things about their child.

He closed the diary, marking the page he'd read, and put it back in his desk drawer. He didn't like keeping it in the house but he couldn't risk leaving it at the station and someone getting their hands on it. Hershel's family didn't need this kind of attention. They were getting enough as it was. When his cellphone started to ring he looked at the strange number before answering it.

"Hello?"

"Is this Sheriff Grimes?" A man's voice asked on the other end.

"Yes. May I ask who's calling?"

"This is Glenn Rhee. Maggie Greene's boyfriend." The voice said and Rick sat up straighter.

"Is something wrong, Glenn?" He asked, worried.

"Hershel would like to talk to you. If you could come out here sometime this afternoon."

"I'm on the way." Rick said as he stood up.


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: Sorry I've been away so long. I was working on some things and had some other stuff going on. But I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter and more will be coming soon. I do NOT any of the characters or profit from any of this. Let me know what you guys think. Criticism is always welcome as long as you're not deliberately mean about it. Thanks and Enjoy!_**

**Chapter Seven: The Way Things Were And The Way Things Are**

DPOV

Looking over at Beth and Merle, Daryl felt his heart clench. He was uncertain about what their future held and he was so scared. He knew that Merle was, as well, even if he refused to mention it. Daryl knew better than to bring it up, though. Merle wasn't one to talk about feelings. That was beaten out of both of them a long time ago. They had scars and anger problems to show for it. Maybe even some addictions. No. Definitely some addictions.

Thinking about that brought his gaze back to Beth. She, of course, had her own problems. Despite looking like, and occasionally being, a sweet, innocent farmer's daughter, she'd had her own addictions and anger problems. Her own guilt and hatred.

So far, she hadn't gotten high. Not since him and Merle have been back in her life. But she'd gotten drunk a few times. Of course, that was the normal thing for teenagers to do. Right?

He hated himself a lot, when he thought about introducing her to all the different drugs she'd tried. He'd hated Merle a few times, when he'd come home from somewhere and find her at the trailer with Merle. Just the two of them, high and unaware of the outside world. A strange feeling eating at him when he felt like he was interrupting.

Now, he can admit to what that feeling was. Jealousy. Because he hadn't had a claim on her. She'd still been dating Jimmy, technically, and just sleeping with him. So he'd find her alone with Merle and get pissed, wondering how long she'd been there and what they'd done. He can still perfectly recall one time in particular. When he was sure he'd irrevocably messed up.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_When he stepped onto the porch he could already hear voices and laughter. They were familiar. Adrenaline and anxiety mixed, in his head, his chest, his stomach. As he opened the door he could feel it turn to anger. Sitting on the couch, entirely too close for his liking, was Merle and Beth._

"_The fuck is this?" He asked as he slammed the door and they both jumped._

_Merle was sprawled out on the couch, legs spread, arms across the back, a smug look on his face, lips pulled into a smirk. Beth's eyes were wide, startled, pupils dilated._

"_Daryl." She said in a shocked voice._

"_Whatchu doin' here?" He asked her, feeling his hands clench into fists._

"_N-nothin'. Waitin' on you." She said._

_Daryl took a good look at her. Looking at her eyes again. They were too big, her dilated pupils, her pink cheeks, wet, parted lips. Her breathing was a little fast, a little shallow. She crossed her legs, thighs left uncovered by her sundress, then uncrossed them and crossed them the opposite way. She ran her slim fingers through her hair as her eyes darted around the room, not staying on anything for too long._

_He wasn't stupid and he knew Beth. Knew her in ways he was sure no one else did. Until now. Until coming in the front door, finding her and Merle alone, seeing the arousal on her face, the signs in her body language. Reading her expression and seeing more than her being high._

_He could see the same arousal in Merle's eyes, a little less obvious in physical ways. But he knew his brother, too. Had seen him with plenty of women._

"_Waitin' on me, huh?" He asked with an unhappy, jerky nod. "What was you doin' while you was waitin'?"_

"_What do you mean?" Beth asked him as Merle scoffed._

_At this point, he knew he needed to keep his mouth shut. He knew things could get out of hand too easily. He knew he had no claim on her. He knew it shouldn't matter what she did with anyone else. But it did. It mattered. To him she was his._

"_I mean, what. The. Fuck. Were. You. Doing." He spoke slowly, not wanting to yell. Not yet._

"_Nothin', Daryl, I was waitin' on you." She said. "I don't understand what's wrong."_

"_It sure don't look like nothin', Beth." He spit out, knowing he was being ignorant as hell, jumping to conclusions. "It looks like you was havin' a good time with Merle. You sure you was waitin' on me? Or you want me to leave so y'all can get back to it?"_

"_Are you serious?" Beth asked him incredulously, seeming to catch on to what he was implying._

"_Whatchu think?" He asked, trying to tell himself to shut up but not listening, unable to listen._

"_Fuck you, Daryl." She snapped._

"_Ain't that what you been doin' with Merle?" He shot back at her. He had no control over his mouth at that point._

"_Maybe I have." She stood up, grabbing her bag and looking down at a still seated Merle. "You wanna take me home?"_

_Daryl just stood there as they left, Merle throwing him a grin on his way out the door. That night, he trashed the house and got drunk. Merle didn't return for hours and when he did he was trashed. His pants were unbuttoned and his shirt was wrinkled but Daryl didn't ask. It hurt to much to think that something could've happened. He didn't want to know how it felt for it to be confirmed._

_*END FASHBACK*_

Now, looking at Merle and Beth, how comfortable they seemed with each other, how comfortable they had always seemed, he tried not to let that old jealousy flare up. He honestly wasn't sure how much of a claim he had on her now, if any at all. He'd never asked either of them what had happened that night but judging Beth's reaction that night Merle had caught her and Daryl behind the bar, nothing had ever happened between her and Merle. He wasn't sure it was a good thing to bring up at this point. And did it really matter? After everything the three of them had been through together, did it matter if something had happened?

Daryl's not so sure it does. Not at this point. And it, technically, wouldn't have been behind his back. She was with Jimmy. She was sleeping with Daryl. Could she cheat on Daryl with Merle if she was already cheating on Jimmy with Daryl? Was that even possible?

His eyes caught a sign for a gas station coming up in a few miles and he looked at the gas gauge, thinking about the cash they had left. He decided it was a good idea to stop and get some gas, maybe a few snacks. He was hungry and they probably were, too. They couldn't really afford to run out of gas and have to call someone. What if a cop stopped to help?

Pulling into the parking lot, Beth and Merle both blinked awake at the same time. Beth sent him a grin, making him feel slightly guilty for his earlier thoughts, before she leaned over the front seat and grabbed one of her small bags from the back seat. She hopped out of the truck and went straight for the bathrooms.

Daryl started filling the truck up as Merle went inside to get snacks and pay. As he looked around the parking lot, he tried not to feel fidgety. He really didn't like being in public places during daylight hours. At least they were almost in California. About as far from Georgia as they could get. And that made him feel sad in the strangest way. And he felt stupid, because what choice did they have?

He got back in the truck, the passenger seat this time, and Merle came out and handed him two plastic bags. He pulled a bottle of Gatorade out of one bag, drinking half of it in one swallow. Merle got behind the wheel and turned on the radio, tapping the wheel as they waited on Beth.

When she came back out, she got into the truck, sitting in the middle once again. They took off, feeling slightly better after their short break.

BPOV

Exhaustion weighing heavily on all three of the people in the black Chevy, they crossed the California line with a smile and a relieved sigh. Beth felt Daryl's lips touch her hair and she lifted her head from his shoulder to look into his heavy lidded eyes. They'd taken turns driving over the past two days, only stopping for bathroom breaks and to stretch their legs. Tennessee was far behind them and Beth was grateful. The scene at the bar had most likely caused them some as yet unknown problems. But they were still together. And Beth was most grateful for that.

"We'll find a hotel for the night before meeting up with Martinez tomorrow." Merle said from his seat behind the wheel.

Beth and Daryl only nodded, too tired to worry about conversation.

It didn't take them long to find a hotel and they left most of their luggage in the truck except for essentials for the night. Daryl collapsed onto one of the beds, letting out a tired sigh as his back met the soft mattress. Merle sat down in the one chair and placed his head in his hands as Beth carried her pajamas and toiletries into the bathroom. She hadn't showered since leaving Tennessee. None of them had. She was really looking forward to the hot water.

As she stepped under the spray, letting it wash away the pain and exhaustion of being stuck in a vehicle for over thirty hours, her thoughts wandered to the Martinez guy that Merle had mentioned a few times. Daryl seemed to know him, too, in a vague way. Beth just hoped that they could trust him. They didn't really have anyone else at this point.

Quickly washing her hair, Beth dried off and dressed in her cotton shorts and tank top. When she opened the bathroom door a cloud of steam rolled out and she shivered. The drastic change in temperature made goosebumps rise all over her body. She looked around the small room and noticed that Merle was nowhere to be seen. Daryl appeared to be asleep, his feet still planted on the floor at the end of the bed and one arm flung over his eyes.

Walking past him, Beth placed her small bag on the dresser, pulling her comb out to run it through her hair so her hair wouldn't be a rat's nest when she woke up. Before she could touch the plastic to her wet locks, she saw movement in the mirror. Turning around, her eyes met Daryl's. Exhaustion was still apparent but it was no longer dominating his features. Instead, there was a familiar heat in his eyes. It was burning but it wasn't a quick flame.

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, this look was different. It was desperate and needy and scared. As she watched his tongue came out and licked along his bottom lip and he slowly stood up. Beth stood there, waiting, as he made his way over to her.

When he was standing a breath away, his hand came up and he tangled his fingers into her hair. She shivered again as it shifted against her skin and caused a fresh wave of coldness. Daryl angled her head and leaned down but instead of kissing her his lips touched her jaw. She felt a whimper building in her chest as his lips slid down the column of her throat, over her pulse and down to her collar bone. His teeth grazed the skin and she shivered again.

Daryl grabbed her wrists and placed her hands on his shoulders before reaching his hands down to her slim hips. He brought his lips across her chest and to her other collar bone as his hands slid over her hips and lower until they reached her thighs. He lifted her effortlessly and just held her above him for a moment. She looked down into his darkened eyes, the pupils blown, and knew hers had to look similar.

Beth leaned down and kissed him, soft and sweet. When she pulled back, he stepped closer to the dresser and placed her on the edge of it. Now, her eyes were level with his. He moved between her open legs and kissed her again. She sighed, her lips parting, as his hands moved to the front of her thighs. His tongue slipped past her lips and she groaned at the familiar taste of him.

They took their time exploring each other, their mouths tasting, teeth nipping, hands grazing, roaming, gripping. Slowly, their hands began to tug at clothes. She grabbed the hem of his shirt, tugging it over his head. He slipped a hand past the waistband of her shorts. Her hips rolled slowly as his fingers barely ghosted over her.

When she popped the button on his jeans he stepped back and toed his boots and socks off. Beth yanked her tank top over her head and shimmied her shorts down her hips, still sitting on the dresser. Daryl let his pants and boxer-briefs fall to his feet and stepped free of them before stepping back over to Beth. He slid his hands up Beth's thighs, spreading her legs, before he stepped in between them.

Slowly, she guided the head of his dick to her entrance, teasing them both as she slid him over her lips and clit. She whimpered, her bottom lip poking out in a pout, as she moved his erection against her again. He growled as the head slipped inside of her and her walls clenched from the sound.

Inch by inch, he slid into her until she felt the tip of him hitting her cervix. She started to rotate her hips, locking her ankles behind him. He moved his hips in the same rhythm, one of his hands moving up her back to her neck and gripping her hair at the back of her skull. His other hand was braced on the dresser as he pulled on her hair, tilting her head back.

She felt his lips graze her jugular before his teeth. They kept their movements slow, sensuous, as his teeth slowly bit down on her throat. A whine escaped her throat, a high-pitched noise that she didn't know she was capable of, as the pain at her throat mixed with the pleasure between her legs. Her nails dug into the skin on Daryl's back as she felt her orgasm building. She'd never felt an orgasm like this. Usually they were fast, hard. This was a slow build, slow burn, simmering fire.

Protesting, she felt Daryl begin to pull back, to pull out of her. But he stepped back, helped her off of the dresser and walked her toward the bed. He lay her down and looked down at her. Starting at her feet, his hands slid up her legs, a steady pace. He placed random kisses along her thighs, between her hip bones, up her stomach.

He licked a trail of fire across her chest and up her throat, the bite stinging as his tongue passed over it. That alone let her know it had bled. He'd broken the skin. As his lips finally, finally, met hers. He pushed back inside of her at the same moment and she cried out, him swallowing the noise before it reached the air.

They moved together, holding tightly, a storm raging inside of that hotel room and both of them terrified of what the aftermath would bring, where they'd be swept off to.

It didn't take long for Beth's orgasm to build up again and then she was shaking and trembling, clenching and crying out. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades, dragging along the skin as he thrust faster. She was barely starting to come back down when he tensed, thrust once more, hard, and came inside of her. She cried out again, a smaller orgasm rolling through her. Daryl buried his face into her neck, his arms holding her tightly, an almost crushing force against her ribs.

After a while, when he starts going soft again, he shifts. He slides out of her, both of them hissing at the sensation. Beth pulls her pajamas back on and Daryl throws on his boxer-briefs and t-shirt before crawling back into the bed with her. As his arms go around her, Beth can't help but notice that the fear had still been present in his eyes. Along with a fierceness she knew he had but hadn't seen much of. As they drifted off to sleep, Beth heard the room door open and close. She cracked her eyes to see Merle standing in the small room, looking down at her and Daryl, a sad expression on his face. He shook his head before running a hand over his face and into his hair.

Sleep sucked her under as she heard him fall into his own bed.

MerlePOV

He was putting his phone back in his pocket when he heard someone in the bed behind him stirring awake. He looked towards the bed and Beth was pushing the covers away and standing up. Her shorts barely covered her ass and he watched her hips sway as she walked towards the bathroom, oblivious to his eyes following her. He wasn't going to try to deny that he'd thought about her in less than decent ways. He'd even tried to go there a time or two. But she'd been fully committed to Daryl since the beginning. Even when she was dating that Jimmy kid. So, he'd let it go and tried his luck elsewhere.

Merle usually tried not to think about her like that anymore. But when she walked around in those tight shorts and little shirts, things got a little hard for him, especially with how perfect her ass was, her flat, toned stomach. He had a lot of respect for the girl, though. And besides the one time he'd kissed her, there was no other kind of contact except the occasional friendly hug. He'd never tell Daryl about that kiss, though. And he was pretty sure she never did because he was still breathing and allowed to be around her.

And really, the kiss was a little bit Daryl's fault.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_As he got into the driver's seat of his old truck he began to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to give Beth those rolls. But she'd wanted them and Daryl wasn't supposed to be gone that long. But Daryl was gone longer and Beth had started talking and they'd been laughing and she'd taken another one. He'd already taken two and been drinking orange juice._

_He knew it was a bad idea._

_And then Daryl had came in and saw them and assumed the worst. But not really the worst. Merle had been thinking much worse. He'd been thinking of very bad things to do to and with Beth Greene. And he was sure Daryl had seen those thoughts in his eyes and that's what made him flip. Because, yes, Beth had been aroused. That's why most people took ecstasy. But she never did anything she didn't want to. Under the influence or not. He didn't cause ot encourage that arousal. It just happened._

_And now, Beth had asked him for a ride home after taunting Daryl._

"_Can you just hang out for a while? I can't go home like this." Beth said as they got closer to the farm._

_Without answering, he drove past the turn off to the farm and kept going. They ended up at the town limit sign with a bottle of Jack Daniel's. Laying in the bed of the truck, talking and laughing, Merle realized he'd never really hung out with a girl like this. With anybody really. And he was still feeling the pills._

_Stupidly, he'd rolled onto his side and reached for Beth. At first, she hadn't moved. So, he'd kissed her. Just their lips at first, then he'd licked the seam of her lips and she'd opened her mouth. Their tongues had tangled and he could swear he'd never tasted anything sweeter. Like sunshine and honey and bourbon._

_The kiss deepened and they moved closer. Beth was halfway under him, his thigh between her legs and his hand on her hip._

_A flash of light and a beeping horn had them jumping away from each other. He was breathing hard and Beth put her hands over her face before running her fingers through her hair._

_Merle silently cursed the car that had interrupted them as Beth stood up and straightened her dress. With a sigh, he stood up as well and they got back into the cab of the truck. As they pulled up to the turn off to the farm Beth turned to him with a slight blush._

"_That can't ever happen again." She told him. "You're my friend. And I want to stay friends. I love him, Merle. That was just the pills. You know that. Right?"_

"_Yeah, girl. Of course." He told her before she got out._

_He pulled over on the way home and took care of himself, knowing he'd be in pain if he didn't. And he didn't want to explain that to Daryl. That was his brother. His brother's girl. Official or not. And he loved both of them. But he didn't LOVE Beth. He didn't have feelings for her the way Daryl did. They really were just friends._

_When he'd gotten home, Daryl had glared at him and he could see the pain in his brother's eyes. He kept his mouth shut as he walked past him and into his room. The guilt ate at him, he could still taste her mouth on his. As he went to remove his clothes to sleep he realized his pants were unbuttoned and he smelled like her. He almost went back out there to tell Daryl that it wasn't what it looked like._

_Instead, he removed his clothes and crawled into bed to sleep._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

Merle pushed those thoughts out of his head and left the room to get some breakfast. He tried not to think about her like that these days. He really tried. But he was human. He knew he'd never act on those things. Even if her and Daryl separated. Okay, maybe he wouldn't. He's pretty sure he wouldn't. He'd like to think that he's better than that.

When he returned to the room, Daryl and Beth were both dressed but wrapped around each other, oblivious. Merle slammed the door and they jumped, Daryl glaring while Beth blushed.

He laughed and handed them the bag of muffins and two coffees. They took them gratefully and Merle waited for them to eat before talking.

"We gotta meet Martinez at his office."

They both nodded and gathered up their things before getting into the truck while Merle took care of the check-out.

*BACK IN SENOIA*

RPOV

As Rick sat in his home office he listened to his son playing some kind of game and his wife in their kitchen, making dinner. Lori had been constantly cooking, needing to stay busy with the baby almost due and Shane's death. He'd went out to Hershel Greene's farm two days prior and talked to his friend again about his missing daughter. Rick hated to call her a fugitive. But that's what she was at this point.

With a sigh, he picked her diary back up an re-read the the last few pages he'd looked at.

_Dear Diary,_

_Well, today was a disaster. An absolute wreck. And I'm left confused. I went to see Daryl but he wasn't home. Merle had some pills and I asked him for some. I knew what they were this time. Ecstasy. But Daryl was supposed to be on his way back. And Merle was already high. I jus needed...SOMETHING. Daryl took longer than expected and I started feeling fidgety. Turned on. But not by anything or anyone in particular. I mean, it was only me and Merle. But I could see the way he was watching me. And I liked the attention. I liked how he kept looking at my bare legs and my chest. How he kept shifting in his seat. That kind of power. It was indescribable. When Daryl came in he was angry. Accused me of sleeping with Merle. I wouldn't do that but I wanted to hurt Daryl the way he was hurting me. So, I told him that maybe I was. Then I got Merle to give me a ride home. And I got him to drive me somewhere else first. We drank. And that was a bad idea. Because Merle kissed me. And I let him. I not only let him. I enjoyed it. I kissed him back. And I don't know if it was the pills or the alcohol but I wanted more. His hand was on my hip and I wanted it ON ME. I could even feel him hard against my thigh._

_Luckily, a car drove by and interrupted whatever was happening. I came to my senses and apparently so did Merle. He drove me home and we talked about it. Agreed it shouldn't have happened and wouldn't again. I love Daryl. I really do. And I feel so guilty. It won't ever happen again. But for that moment, I wanted it to. For that moment, I wanted it to go further. What am I supposed to tell Daryl? Did Merle tell him? We've never talked about what we are. I'm still technically with Jimmy. So, what is this? I got mad at him when I saw that girl. Do I tell him? Will he hate me? I don't know what to do. I haven't talked to him for two days. I've just been thinking. I guess I should call him soon. Hopefully I'll know what to do by then._

Rick closed the diary again and put it in his desk drawer. He scrubbed a hand over his face and thought about this new information. What was he supposed to assume from this? Was Beth involved with both brothers? If so, did both of them know? Were her and Merle doing something behind Daryl's back? Was she being honest about nothing happening? It was her diary. Why would she lie in her own diary?

Did that other car know that it was Beth Greene and Merle Dixon they were beeping at? If they did, then he needed to figure out who was in that car.

Lori called out that dinner was ready and he pushed away from his desk as he heard Carl's game shut off. They met in the hallway and walked to the dining room together, where his wife was waiting. As he sat down to eat he thought about getting Lori's thoughts on the situation. She knew everything except for what was in the diary. Maybe she'd be able to give him some perspective on what's going through a girl's mind in a situation like that.

Maybe she'd understand Beth Greene's diary better than he could. He'd ask her. After dinner.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: I am SO, SO sorry that this took so long. I have had a million things going on and life has been crazy. Plus, my sister just had a baby and I was there for all of that. It was great. Anyways, thanks for sticking around and I hope that this chapter is worth it. You guys are so great.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or profit from them.**_

BPOV

Something about today felt strange. Beth wasn't sure what it was but there was a swirling in her stomach that felt ominous. As they pulled into the parking lot of Martinez Roofing, Inc. she looked around for signs of anything out of the ordinary. She was hesitant to believe she'd see anything but it eased her nerves to be able to look around.

The small parking lot didn't offer any hiding places, three trucks sat in plain view, one light blue and two white. Their big black truck almost fit in perfectly which made her feel better, also. The trio crossed the parking lot quickly and Merle opened the door tot he office, walking in before her. Daryl followed and she smiled slightly at their protectiveness.

As Beth had gotten ready to leave the hotel room she'd noticed that there was a wound over her jugular in the shape of a perfect set of teeth. She'd had to style her hair to cover it so she'd ended up pulling the blonde locks into a low side ponytail. Dressing simply in a blue sundress and her boots completed the look of small town, girl-next-door.

Looking around the small front office she saw a woman about Merle's age sitting behind a heavy wooden desk. Her short, gray hair was styled messily and her silver eyes were sharp as she looked at the three of them.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked in a light voice. Before they could offer an answer the heard footsteps and a man stepped out of the narrow hallway.

"I got this, Carol." The man said. "Merle. It's been a long time, man."

"Five years." Merle agreed. "You remember Daryl. This here's his woman, Beth."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. Carol, we're gonna go into my office. Don't let anybody interrupt."

"You got it, Caesar." The woman said with a smile.

All four of them headed down the hallway, Caesar in the lead and Daryl bringing up the rear. Beth was surprised at the large room they stepped into. She'd expected a construction foreman's office. Small room, metal desk, ugly carpet. Instead, the floor was dark wood with a large, expensive looking rug underneath an antique wooden desk. Two leather chairs sat in front of the desk and a leather couch was against the wall to the left of the chairs.

Caesar walked around the desk and took his seat, motioning to the chairs in front of the desk. Merle sat in one and Daryl offered the other to Beth as he stood to the side of it. Reaching into a drawer, Caesar pulled out a large manila envelope, placing it on the desk top.

"This is your new id's, burner phones until you can get your own, apartment keys and some cash to get you set up. The apartment is furnished, so don't worry about that. Merle. I have a job for you and your brother. If you're interested, that is." He said as he leaned back in his chair.

"What is it?" Merle asked cautiously.

"Construction work. You would be on separate crews, but it pays a lot and none of the other guys are too concerned with getting to know people. They like to keep to themselves."

"When would we start?" Daryl spoke up.

"Monday. It'd give you the weekend to settle into your new place. Two bedrooms, of course. It's not a very big place but I assume it's temporary." Caesar's eyes held a question as he looked between the three of them.

"Well, yeah. Hopefully." Merle answered.

"I mean, if it's not that's okay. But I assumed the three of you wouldn't want to live together forever."

"No. Thanks, man. For everything." Merle said.

"Not a problem. Go, get set up. I'll come by after work, say around 6:30 or 7, see how things are going, talk over the job some more."

"Sure." Merle said as they all stood up and shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Beth." Caesar said as they walked out.

"You, too." She told him with a smile.

RPOV

*SENOIA, GA.*

Sitting behind his home desk, his hands clasped across his stomach, Rick stared into space, his mind racing. After talking with Lori, he'd gained a little perspective into the mind of a teenage female. Admittedly, it was a dark and scary place, but he felt like he understood things a little better. Beth wasn't a criminal, a fugitive running around hurting people. She was a girl in love, a girl that was hurting and barely treading water, trying not to drown in her guilt.

He remembered when Hershel had brought her in to the hospital, carrying her limp body with blood smeared over the both of them, Maggie behind him, crying. Rick had been there checking on a domestic dispute and he'd been scared, seeing that tiny girl so pale and lifeless. His friend's daughter.

After calling Lori, he'd stayed with Hershel while they pumped Beth's stomach and stitched her wrist. Apparently, she'd taken some pills left over from the car crash and slit her wrist. She was trying to make sure that if one thing didn't kill her then another would.

As Rick recalled all of this, he remembered that Merle and Daryl Dixon had both left town. Running from a warrant, in Merle's case. Now he had to wonder if that had something to do with Beth's suicide attempt. Not that they'd caused it, but maybe their presence prevented it. With a heavy sigh, he rubbed his eyes and stood up to go to bed. He'd been running on almost no sleep and maybe recharging would help him figure some things out.

MerlePOV

Pulling into the parking lot of the small apartment building, Merle started grabbing the luggage from the back of the truck. They left Daryl's bike loaded in the bed but grabbed all the bags and headed inside. Spotting a pair of elevators at the end of a small foyer, they headed that way and pressed the button for the sixth floor. It wouldn't have been Merle's first choice, it made running harder if the cops showed up, but it was what Martinez had at the moment and they'd make do.

Unlocking the door and walking into the apartment, it seemed a wave of tension was released form all three people. They slowly went through the apartment, looking over the bedrooms, the one bathroom and the living space/kitchen combination.

They decided that Beth and Daryl would have the large, main bedroom and Merle would take the smaller one since it was just him at the moment. They dropped their bags into their rooms and Merle and Daryl moved into the living room to see if the cable was hooked up. They didn't have much to do until Caesar came over. They watched as Beth disappeared into her bedroom then started flipping through the many channels.

Merle wasn't sure how he felt yet, besides relief. He didn't know what to do now that they'd reached their destination and could take a breath. He actually couldn't wait to start working on Monday.

As he thought about the situation, he heard a door open and close. Looking up, he saw Beth coming out of the room in a pair of denim cutoffs and a blue camisole and momentarily lost his train of thought. She'd pulled her hair into a messy bun and there was a clear bruise on her neck in the shape of teeth. He'd have never guessed she was into things like that.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he looked at the television again as Beth sat on the couch by Daryl. As all three of them sat there, Merle couldn't help but feel like things were about to change in a big, irreversible way.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Sorry that's it's been so long since an update. School and holidays have been keeping me busy. Plus, writer's block has been hitting me hard. I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Let me know what you think.**_

DPOV

As he pulled on his work boots, Daryl glanced over at a sleeping Beth. Her long hair was tangled across her pillow and her face, hiding her features from view. With the blanket and sheet pushed down to her hips, he took a moment to appreciate the uninterrupted view of her naked back. He felt utterly fascinated with the smooth skin. The long expanse of creamy flesh was unmarked and perfect, so unlike his own. He'd turned his alarm off before it had the chance to start blaring and wake Beth.

He hadn't intended to bother her, knowing she could use the rest, but as his rough fingertips touched her neck and slid down her spine he felt her stir. She pushed her face further into her pillow, grumbling unintelligible noises as he traced a path past her hips and over her backside. The sheets were pushed down as his hand continued it's journey to her thigh.

A small sigh fell from her lips as she continued to sleep. Daryl crawled back up the bed next to Beth and ran his fingertips back up her spine. She shivered and arched slightly before opening one eye and mumbling something about it being too early.

A laugh slipped through his lips as he leaned over and pressed them to her jaw, breathing in the scent of her, strawberries and coconuts. His fingers grabbed at the sheet and pulled it up for her before he sat up. He left the blanket at her waist, knowing she'd get too hot if she was covered with it.

"Call me when you wake up. Love you, girl." He told her and got a mumble and a halfhearted wave in response.

With another laugh, he left their bedroom and met Merle in the almost bare living room. Beth had made them fried egg sandwiches the night before and they ate those as they grabbed the lunches she'd packed and headed out the door. Daryl knew he could get used to this, saying goodbye to Beth in the mornings, taking a lunch she'd packed to work with him and then coming home to her at night. He really liked that idea.

MaggiePOV

Staying at the farm past Christmas hadn't been in Maggie's plans but it looked like that was where she'd be even though it was over three months away. She was pretty sure Rick Grimes wasn't any closer to finding out anything. Of course, if her dad would let the sheriff do his job, they'd be a lot closer to getting Beth back.

Forcefully shaking those thoughts from her head, she walked out of her room and went into her sister's. It was early morning but Glenn and her father were both still asleep so she was careful to be quiet. She didn't want them coming to check on her.

As soon as she walked into the familiar room her hazel eyes scanned the bookshelves before landing on the bed. She remembered finding Beth on the floor between this room and her bathroom, passed out with a puddle of blood growing around her wrist. It had frightened Maggie and she could remember screaming for help. She wasn't even sure who she'd been calling for at the time.

A tear escaped her eye and slid down her cheek as the scene played in her head. Beth pale, passed out. Their daddy had to carry her, Maggie couldn't do it herself. She thought Beth was already dead and she didn't want to touch her, she didn't want that memory.

The anger she'd felt at the time was nothing but a shadow now, but she could still remember how strong it was then. How dare she leave Maggie to deal with her grief on her own, how dare she leve her to take care pf their father. Of course, Maggie should have seen it coming. But she'd neglected Beth, she'd been too busy with getting to know Glenn.

She'd barely noticed that Beth had broken up with Jimmy and then suddenly stopped going anywhere. She didn't go to parties, sleep overs, or shopping. She just went to school everyday and came straight home, she never even answered her phone after a while. Maggie had heard from other people that rumors were going around about Beth. People told her that Beth didn't have anymore friends at school. That Beth had betrayed Jimmy and was on drugs.

Maggie had brushed it off, thinking her little sister would come to her if there really was a problem. Maggie would have never connected the behavior with the Dixon's. Their daddy had always told them to stay away from those boys. Those men, really. They weren't no good, he said. She thought if either of them would stay away it'd be Beth, the good daughter, the nice one. Now Beth was with them, doing God knows what, God knows where.

Sitting hard on the bed, Maggie felt a hot lump forming in her throat, she was so scared. Not for her sister, not really, but of what her sister was doing, who her sister was now. No, Maggie was scared that the Beth she thought she knew had never really existed. That she was more complex than the girl who listened to her daddy and went to church every Sunday and did her chores. Everyone had painted Beth as this sweet, polite girl that always followed the rules. Maybe she was all of those things. But she was also her mother's daughter.

Anette had met, befriended and married Hershel against her family's wishes. They'd been well off and wanted Anette to marry a friend's son. Hershel was twenty years older than her and Anette already had one child from a failed marriage. After Anette and Hershel's wedding, Anette's parents hadn't had anything to do with her. When Beth was fifteen she'd tracked them down, living an hour away.

They'd called Anette, yelling at her for allowing Beth to come see them and with "some brute in a truck" that everyone except Maggie had assumed was Jimmy, Maggie knew Jimmy had called the house looking for Beth because they were supposed to hang out. Anette had calmly explained that Bethany Anette Greene had a mind of her own, just like her mother, and would do what she thought was the right thing.

Maggie had assumed it was one of Jimmy's friends and Beth just didn't want to tell him so he wouldn't get jealous. She doubted Beth would've wanted Jimmy to meet her grandparents under such harsh circumstances. Now, she wondered if it was one of the Dixon's.

Laying down on Beth's bed Maggie noticed the covers still smelled like Beth's Strawberry Shortcake shampoo and coconut body wash. The tears started to fall and Maggie held Beth's pillow to her face, taking in the familiar scent while muffling her sobs. She missed her sister and it hurt to realize she didn't really know her, that Beth hadn't felt like Maggie would be willing to know her.

BPOV

When Beth opened her eyes, the sun was still high in the sky, shining through the thin curtains that covered the bedroom window. Glancing at the bedside clock she saw it was only eight in the morning but Daryl's side of the bed was already cold. With a sigh, she got out of the bed and walked into the kitchen wearing only her panties. She knew Daryl and Merle were at work so she wasn't concerned with modesty at the moment. She turned on the coffee maker, letting the smell of fresh coffee fill the small apartment.

After going into the bathroom and taking a quick shower, she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and went to pour herself some coffee. There wasn't much for her to do in the apartment but she needed to do some shopping and Martinez had given her his wife, Alma's, number and they'd talked a little over the weekend.

Dialing the number, she listened to it ring twice before a happy voice answered. "Hello?"

"Alma? This is Beth. I was wondering if you were free to do some shopping today?" Beth asked her.

"Oh, yes. I'll come by in an hour, if that's okay. We'll go get something to eat first."

They discussed the details and said they're goodbyes. Beth finished her coffee and sent a text to Daryl, letting him know her plans so he wouldn't worry if he came home early and she was still gone. He told her to have fun and Beth hurried to their room to find something to wear. The weather was still warm but it wasn't burning up outside.

Deciding on faded skinny jeans, a blue v-neck t-shirt and her brown boots, she straightened her hair and pulled it into a ponytail before grabbing her bag and some cash out of Daryl's top drawer. A knock on the door signaled Alma's arrival and Beth grabbed her aviator glasses before heading for the door. She locked up tight, and they were soon in Alma's silver BMW, headed for breakfast.

GlennPOV

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Glenn listened intently, knowing he'd heard something. He got out of the bed, pulling on his pants and a t-shirt as he slipped out of the Greene's guest room. It was really Shawn's room but Glenn felt a little uncomfortable about that so he called it the guest room.

He was wondering if his imagination or a dream had woken him when he heard the noise again, coming from Beth's room, and he slowly made his way to the door, twisting the knob and inching it open. His heart skipped a beat when he saw someone in the bed but then he realized it was Maggie. She was obviously asleep and he realized she was having a nightmare when she mumbled something and frowned. He noticed a shine on her cheeks and quickly realized she'd been crying and it'd been recently.

Before he could decide what to do Maggie called out. "Beth! Come back! Stop! No, Beth! No!"

Not knowing what else to do, he touched Maggie's shoulder and gently shook her. She shot up in the bed with a sob before noticing Glenn was beside her. She launched herself into his arms and started crying, immediately soaking his thin t-shirt.

"It was horrible, Glenn. She was dead." She sobbed brokenly. "I tried to stop her but she kept walking and then there was a shot and she just fell."

Glenn didn't know what to say so he just held Maggie and let her cry. At first, he'd felt awkward about Maggie involving him in this situation that was so obviously a family issue. He felt like he was intruding. But he'd wanted to be there for Maggie and he'd always liked Beth. She'd been nice to him, to everybody really, never judging and always accepting. He'd been surprised at how quickly everything had spiraled out of control, all because Beth had been late getting home once and Deputy Walsh had felt the need to inform Hershel he'd seen her on the back of a Dixon's motorcycle.

Trying not to feel any resentment toward the dead officer was difficult at times but Glenn didn't know the Dixon's and didn't understand why it was such a big deal. Beth was almost eighteen anyways. Actually, she'd be eighteen in two weeks. From what he could tell, she was a smart young woman, with a good head on her shoulders and she was very strong-willed. He wouldn't tell the Greene's but he didn't think Beth was in any danger. Maybe a little trouble, maybe a lot of trouble, but not danger. He'd read her diaries when Maggie couldn't bring herself to do it. He didn't know the Dixon's, but he was confident Beth was the most important thing in both of their lives, they'd never hurt her.

When Maggie's cries started to fade Glenn pulled back slightly and wiped the tears from her eyes as best he could. "Why don't you lay down? I'll make you some tea."

Maggie nodded. "I'm gonna stay in here, though. I need it right now, Glenn."

With a nod of his own, he got up and walked down the stairs to the kitchen. The sky was starting to lighten and he knew Hershel would be up soon so he put on a pot of coffee. After he took Maggie her tea and made sure she was okay he'd straighten up the kitchen and make some breakfast. It was the least he could do for this family that was in so much pain.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Sorry this chapter has taken so long to get out. I'm not entirely happy with it but here it is. I've fought with it so much and it won. So, yeah. I hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you think.**_

RPOV

Rubbing his hands over his face, Rick looked up as Lori threw the office door open and it hit the wall behind it. At first he thought she was angry and he could feel the exhaustion weighing down on his neck and shoulders. He knew he'd been spending a lot of time secluded in his office, trying to work this case with the Dixon brothers and Beth Greene. It was wearing on everyone involved but he felt like he might be onto something pretty big. He quickly noticed Lori was panting, though, and she smiled brightly at him through the pain on her face. "It's time."

Rick jumped to his feet, no longer feeling tired, and headed for his room, needing to get her hospital bag that they kept by the door. "Carl!" He called out as he grabbed the bag from their bedroom. Immediately his son was in the hallway, a nervous expression on his sleepy face. "Grab your bag, the baby's comin'!"

Carl's expression was still nervous but Rick saw excitement in his eyes before he turned away to grab his own overnight bag. They all rushed to the car, Lori holding her belly and trying to breathe slow and even as Rick tried to remember if he'd locked the front door and then not really caring. They quickly buckled up and Rick pulled out of the driveway.

He opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it again when he realized what he was about to say. He'd almost asked Carl to call Shane to meet them at the hospital. Rick could feel his eyes burn and he tightened his jaw, pushing the pain back, wondering silently how long the wound would feel fresh. He couldn't think about that right now, though. He had things to do, he had to make sure they got to the hospital and he didn't want Lori emotional right now, that's not what any of them needed.

"Rick, hurry." Lori said quietly and he glanced at her quickly, hearing the fear in her voice.

He felt like his heart was trying to climb up his throat when he noticed the blood on her hand. His foot pressed harder on the gas and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. They really couldn't wreck right now.

MerlePOV

Looking at the happy couple, Merle felt a slight twinge in his chest. He hated himself for it but he couldn't really help it. His emotions warred in his chest, he wanted Beth and Daryl to be happy but he was jealous of that happiness at the same time. Jealous that Daryl could have something so sweet and good. He wanted something sweet and good. But that wasn't meant for Merle. He'd have said it was never meant for any of the Dixon's but that was obviously a lie.

Daryl was everything good about a Dixon. He was strong, physically and mentally. He was opinionated and stood up for himself. He could fight and had a hell of a right hook, but he had morals. Daryl was good. Merle liked to believe he, too, had morals, but he definitely didn't have as many as Daryl.

And that's why he was currently sitting at the table in Martinez's backyard watching Beth dancing with his baby brother. After a long week of back breaking work, Martinez had invited them over to a barbecue with some other guys from work and their families. Martinez liked to get to know the people working for him.

Merle tried to tear his eyes away, he knew he had no right, but he could feel his hand tighten around his beer bottle as Daryl's hands moved down Beth's back and over her hips. They were both obviously tipsy.

"Merle." He heard Martinez call him and looked over only to realize he'd been glaring at them. "You good man?"

"Yeah, man. Everythin's goooood." He emphasized, knowing he'd had way too much to drink. That's the only explanation he could think of. Too much to drink and too much time in close proximity with Beth Greene. He'd only been with a woman once since they'd left Georgia a little over two weeks ago. That had to be it. He needed to get laid. All his pent up frustration was being transferred onto Beth and there was no way in hell he'd ever go there. He swore he wouldn't.

Martinez eyed him for a moment before glancing over to Beth and Daryl then back at Merle. He tilted his head for a second like he was thinking but when he went to open his mouth Merle stood up and stumbled his way into the house. He really didn't need the third degree from his boss and friend. He had no idea what to tell him.

Nobody followed Merle and he wondered if that was good or bad. He could still see Tyreese and his brother-in-law, Bob, sitting around the small table with Martinez, he could no longer see Beth and Daryl, though, and that was his goal. He grabbed a bottle of Jack off the counter and twisted the top off, quickly bringing it to his lips and swallowing a mouthful. He sat on one of the dining room chairs, not turning on any lights and not ready to go outside again yet. He needed to stop thinking.

Halfway through the bottle, Beth walked into the dining room with a smile, oblivious to the fact that anyone else was in the room. She grabbed two bottles off of the counter and turned to take the drinks back outside with her. Merle suddenly found himself stepping up behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and spun around, trying to hit him but he was too close for her to do anything.

"Merle, you scared me." She said with a breathy laugh.

Without really thinking of the consequences, not quite remembering why there'd be consequences, he took another step closer, closing any distance between them. Beth's nervous laugh turned into a gasp as she tried to back up and found herself unable to move. He knew the counter was probably digging into her back and he tried to tell himself to take a step back.

Merle started to move back and felt himself sway, almost stumbling, and automatically reached for the counter behind Beth. It must have looked differently to her in the dark room.

"Merle?" She asked nervously. "What's goin' on?"

It's not that he didn't want to answer her but he wasn't really sure what to tell her. He was having a hard time thinking, the alcohol making his brain fuzzy. Instead of trying to think, he pressed his body harder against Beth's and lowered his head to her shoulder. He told himself it was for balance, he didn't want to think past that, he didn't want to think about anything.

Not about them being on the run, or her being Daryl's girl. Not about ruining Daryl's life or the fact that Merle himself probably wouldn't make it out of this particular situation. He should've never dragged Beth and Daryl into it. He should've turned himself in and let Daryl try to live his life without him. He'd have been better off.

He didn't want to think about it and the thoughts kept flooding his brain anyways. So he moved to press his lips against Beth's throat. "Merle!" She said sharply and shoved at his chest. But he didn't move, just wrapped his arms around her. He kind of wanted her to get mad. Yell at him so he could yell back. Maybe Daryl would come in and want to fight. Merle would feel better then. He could leave, Daryl would make him, and he wouldn't have to worry about them anymore. He wouldn't fuck up his baby brother's life anymore. "You're scarin' me."

When Beth whispered those words to him something shifted. He didn't want to scare her. He loved Beth. He never wanted her scared of any man, least of all him or Daryl. He wanted her mad and ready to fight. As everything came rushing at him, the whole situation, Merle felt helpless to stop the tears. He felt the burn behind his eyelids and an old rage started burning through his veins. Dixon's weren't the crying type, that had been beaten out of him at a very young age. He'd watched it beaten out of his mother and Daryl. Merle hadn't cried since he was five years old, when his old man had beaten it out of him for the last time, almost killing him.

And he pulled back harshly, ready to spew words of hate at sweet Beth Greene. "What the fuck did you even come with us for? Ain't like we need you. You think you's important? You ain't. Just some farm girl that Daryl liked to fuck. He left you once, you shoulda let 'em do it again. You ain't nothin' but a damn hassle. Havin' to drag your ass 'cross the country with us."

"Merle-"She started to interrupt him and he pressed his body against hers rougher, grabbing her face with one hand while still holding onto the counter with the other. He could see the pain in her eyes, tears forming, and he didn't know if it was from his words or his grip.

"You can take your lily white ass right back to your daddy and be perfectly fine. No problems. You'd be fine. You ain't never gotcha hands dirty doin' shit. Just along for the ride. Any time you could go back to yer nice fuckin' family and be welcomed with open arms. They welcomed ya after you slit your wrist 'cause yer dead mama-" His words were cut short with a sharp slap.

He looked back at Beth, ready to yell at her again, gripping the counter, unwilling to be like his old man. Merle felt his fingers tighten slightly on her jaw and he quickly tore his hand away from her. Beth let out a sob and covered her mouth with one hand.

"Shit, Beth. I'm sorr-" He started to say but was immediately cut off. "No, Merle. Please get out of my way."

"Beth, please." He pleaded, knowing he couldn't fix it if she walked away. She'd never give him another chance to apologize. "I'm sorry, Beth. I didn't mean it."

Unable to stand under the weight of his emotions, he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to Beth's torso. His shoulders started to shake and the fear he'd been ignoring pressed it's way to the front of his mind. He kept his arms wrapped around Beth as she wrapped hers around him. "I'm so sorry, Beth. I'm sorry." He told her, hoping she knew he was sorry for everything, all of it, not just his behavior tonight.

Shh. It's okay, Merle. You're fine, we're fine." She whispered to him as she held him. He felt like a child but he couldn't help it. The liquor had torn open every box he'd stuffed his worries and fears into. "I'm so scared, Beth. I just want you to be okay. For everythin' to be okay."

He felt her body shake as she hugged him tighter and he knew she was crying, too.

DPOV

Talking to Martinez had distracted him and it took Daryl a moment to realize that Beth had been gone for a while. He looked around and noticed that Merle was missing, too. Quickly excusing himself, he headed for the back door that led inside the house. As he stepped over the threshold he heard harsh whispers and a slap. Not hesitating, he stepped further and saw that Merle had Beth cornered. He was about to intervene when he heard a sob come from Beth but Merle spoke before he could.

His brother started apologizing and at first Beth looked hurt and angry and tried to stop him. But Merle persisted. Daryl almost couldn't believe it when he saw Merle collapse and start crying as he apologized. His arms were wrapped around Beth and she wrapped hers around Merle, reassuring him in a tear-filled voice. He saw the tears tracking down her face as she looked up and her eyes locked with his. She smiled slightly at him and nodded her heads toward the door. He nodded back and silently stepped away but not before he heard Merle's next words. "I'm so scared, Beth. I just want you to be okay For everythin' to be okay."

Daryl froze for a moment, a familiar sick fear shooting through his stomach. He knew that he himself was scared of the outcome but he didn't know that Merle was scared, not like that. It multiplied his own fear. They had to get through this together, the three of them. He needed his big brother. He'd never really been without him.

He shoved the fear away for the moment, not wanting anyone to notice as he stepped back outside. Martinez glanced at him and Daryl just shook his head, silently telling him that he'd talk to him later. For now, he'd let Beth take care of Merle because he knew Merle would never want him to see him like that. And as he went back to the party he knew he'd make sure no one else saw Merle like that, either.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: I am terribly sorry for the long wait. I think this might be the longest wait so far. But I've had quite a few things going on in my life. I do hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. It's kind of short but it ended where it needed to. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me so far. I promise, this story is going somewhere and it'll be there in the very near future. Thanks to everyone for the faves and reviews. I really appreciate every single one of you. Enjoy :)**_

BPOV

After helping Merle straighten himself up, Beth walked with him to the truck, his arm heavy across her shoulders, and got him into the passenger seat. There was a lot of maneuvering and pushing but she managed to settle him and strap the seatbelt across his lap and torso. She pulled her phone out and sent a quick text to Daryl asking him to grab her bag and meet them at the truck. She didn't want to go back to the party and smile and dodge questions about why she looked so upset. She just wanted to go home and go to sleep without thinking about the things Merle did and didn't say. Beth would've liked to think that he didn't mean any of it but she knew from experience that things you said when emotions were running high were usually things you had in the back of your mind. You'd try not to feel them, try to deny them, but sometimes it slipped out. Especially when you were hurt and wanted someone to hurt with you.

A chirp caused her to jump slightly and Beth glanced at her phone to see that Daryl had texted her back that he was on his way out. With a relieved sigh she climbed into the truck and slid to the middle seat, laying her head back on the head rest. Merle was barely conscious, his eyes glazed and heavy-lidded, and she was thankful for that. She didn't want a replay and she didn't want more apologies. That was the thing with Merle, as much as she loved him, which she thought was too much sometimes, he was always sorry. Sorry for this, and sorry for that, and I'll never do it again. But he kept doing it, or variations of _it_. In her heart she knew he was already forgiven but she was still hurt and she didn't want him to try to apologize and talk his way out of this. Beth wanted him to actually do something about it, to actually be sorry. And she just wasn't sure if he had it in him.

Daryl climbed into the driver's seat without a word and Beth sent him a small, grateful smile. She knew that he'd let her be, that he'd see that's what she needed. He wasn't much of a talker but he could be if Beth needed him to be. And he knew when to just let her be silent, to let her work through her problems. If he thought she wanted him to say anything to Merle he'd wait for Merle to be sober. But she didn't want that. She wanted Merle to come to her himself.

The drive to their apartment was quick and they managed to get Merle into the elevator without incident. Daryl dropped him in his bed and Beth continued on to their bedroom, letting Daryl take care of getting Tylenol and water for when Merle woke up. All she wanted was sleep. Her head hurt from crying and her heart hurt from so many things, missing her father and sister included. She knew it'd be hard to leave without looking back but she really needed them. Considering calling them sometime during the week, Beth stepped into her bedroom.

Kicking off her boots, she unbuttoned her shorts and let them fall to the floor, not worried about putting them away at the moment. She was reaching for the hem of her top when arms came around her and hands landed on her waist. She looked over her shoulder to see Daryl looking down at her, his eyes dark and hooded. His hands slowly slid around to the front of her, gliding smoothly across the smooth skin of her lower stomach. A shiver raced down her spine as his lips met her nape.

Moving his hands up, Daryl palmed her breasts before slowly starting to tease her erect nipples with his thumbs. She bit her lip as fire shot through her, all the way to her core, and stayed there to start a slow pulsing. Turning around, Beth looked into Daryl's eyes before capturing his lips with hers.

As she guided her tongue past his parted lips, she groaned at the taste of the alcohol they'd both consumed. With a little hop, she had her legs wrapped around his waist and his hands were on her thighs, holding her up. He stepped forward and Beth expected to feel the bed under her back but then he turned and she felt him start to sit. Pulling back from the kiss, Beth watched Daryl lower himself to the mattress with her on his lap.

"I wanna watch you." He said in a low voice that caused her to press her hips down hard.

Another groan slipped past her lips as she felt him, hard and hot inside his jeans. She quickly popped the button on his jeans and started shoving them past his hips, needing him. Without waiting for him to take anything else off, Beth impaled herself on his length and let a whimper escape her. She started moving her hips as she felt his hands push her shirt up again.

Lifting her arms, she helped him remove her shirt, letting it fall wherever. Not caring that he was still fully dressed, boots and all, Beth leaned forward and captured his lips in another kiss. This one was hot and demanding as his hips pistoned against hers.

She broke the kiss with a sigh as he started rubbing against that spot inside her. She was almost there but she needed a little something more. She knew exactly how to get that little bit more. Moving into a sitting position, her thighs gripping his hips, she moved up and down at a fast but steady pace.

As the tip of him met the end of her, bumping her cervix, she felt that pressure building. With one last twist of her hips she was pushed over that edge and suddenly falling, flying. She felt him release inside of her and had a momentary thought that they weren't using any kind of protection or birth control. That thought easily slipped out of her head as he pulled her down to him and kissed her until her heart slowed.

The second time was slower, sweeter, as she slowly undressed him. They kissed every inch of each other, basking in the tenderness, and when he slid inside of her again, that sensation of fullness, of home, almost overwhelmed her. As she wrapped her legs around his waist and he rose above her she couldn't stop the tears from building in her eyes. She didn't know what they were for, maybe they were for everything. But she let them slowly spill from her eyes as Daryl wrapped her in his arms and held her close.


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: What?! Another update so soon?! Yeah, I did that. I do NOT own any characters except OCs. I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter and likes where I'm headed. Thanks for the faves, reviews and sticking with me and this story. You all are appreciated so much. Let me know what you think and enjoy! :)**_

CarlPOV

As he watched his dad pace up and down the hospital hallway, Carl tried to forget the blood that had been on his mother's hand and legs. To him, it'd looked like someone had splashed red paint on her. It was so bright and his dad couldn't seem to focus as the nurses rushed forward and his mom tried not to cry. It had to hurt, his mom never cried, so it had to hurt. It scared Carl but he had to be strong for his parents. They needed him to be strong.

His dad couldn't focus now, even though they'd been there for a while, and Carl was worried about him. Before he could decide what to do he heard his dad's name called and looked up to see Mr. Greene headed their way. He liked Hershel, the man had always been nice, if a bit gruff at times. His family used to go to the Greene farm to have dinner occasionally, especially after church. After Mrs. Greene and Shawn died, the dinners had stopped, though. When they went out to the farm it was usually quiet. Beth was never outside singing or playing guitar, Maggie was never home and Hershel was always sad.

As Hershel approached, his dad turned towards the older man and they walked a little ways away and started talking in whispers. Rolling his eyes to cover his worry, Carl noticed Maggie Greene coming towards him with her boyfriend. He'd only met Glenn a few times but he'd liked him a lot. Glenn had made Maggie smile again.

"Hey, man." He said to Glenn as they sat next to him.

"What's up?" Glenn asked with a small nod.

"Hey, Carl." Maggie said with a smile. "Hungry?"

"Yeah. Always." He told her.

"Daddy, we're gonna take Carl to get something to eat in the cafeteria." Maggie called to her father and both men gave a nod and a wave in response.

Carl knew what they were doing, he was a kid but he wasn't stupid, it was impossible these days. But he let them do it because something was wrong with his mom, there wasn't supposed to be blood when you were in labor. Not until the baby was coming, anyway, from what he'd read. He let them do it because he knew his dad needed it, needed to not worry about him. Maybe needed to not be strong for a moment.

Maybe Maggie needed it, too. Her sister was gone, which sucked because Carl liked Beth and liked her voice. He knew she'd ran off with the Dixon brothers, though.

Everybody knew the Dixon brothers, and he meant _everybody_. But they didn't know that sometimes Merle would give him a few dollars for random things like raking their small yard, tell him to save it for when the baby came. Because Merle understood having to take care of a little brother. Carl wouldn't have that same problem but he thought it was real nice of Merle to do that.

And nobody knew that, occasionally, Daryl would help his mom load the groceries in the car. Or the time he stopped when they were broke down. His mom told him that Daryl probably wouldn't care if people knew but to keep it to himself. So, he also kept the money to himself. He figured it was best that way, because he was a kid but he wasn't stupid.

He definitely never told anybody that when he rode his bike to Ian's house he sometimes saw Beth and Daryl. He knew that no one would appreciate hearing that. He didn't really understand why, though. Whenever he'd seen Beth and Daryl they were always smiling or laughing. Sometimes they'd be dancing. He remembered hiding behind a tree one time while he listened to Beth sing and watched her slow dance with Daryl in his front yard. He'd thought it was beautiful at the time, the way Daryl looked at her, and he couldn't help but think it was the same way his dad looked at his mom. He'd never seen people that young look at each other that way.

Carl thought about telling Maggie now but something stopped him. He didn't think Maggie would understand when it came down to it. Instead, Carl let them lead him to a table in a corner. Maggie walked to the counter to get some food and Glenn sat down next to Carl.

"So," Glenn started. "How you been?"

Laughing, Carl shook his head. "You don't have to do that."

Glenn looked surprised but didn't speak again as Maggie sat down. She passed a large to-go cup to Carl and he lifted the lid to see what it was. He smiled at the sight and smell of orange soda and was grateful when she passed him a sandwich piled high with meat and cheese. He dug in quickly, inhaling as much as he could as fast as he could. Like he said, he was always hungry.

As he finished he saw Glenn unzipping the backpack he was wearing. He knew Glenn always wore that thing but no one knew what was inside it, except maybe Maggie. Glenn treated it like it was the Ark of the Covenant. Now, he was reaching inside of it and Carl could feel his eyes widen in shock.

When Glenn pulled out a laptop, Carl didn't know what to say. Before he could think too long, Glenn sat the laptop in front of Carl. It was black and sleek and he was almost afraid to touch it. Glenn seemed to notice because he turned it back towards himself and lifted the screen. Quickly pressing a few buttons, Carl heard the first few notes of something familiar. Glenn turned the laptop back towards Carl and he couldn't believe his eyes. There was an impossibly long list of games to scroll through and all he could do was look back at Glenn.

"I happen to have a friend at school who is good with electronics. He put all these on my hard drive."

"Dude, you have to take my Xbox to him." Carl practically begged.

"We'll see." Glenn said before Carl clicked on one of the games.

RPOV

Unsure of how much time had gone by exactly, Rick made his way to the hospital cafeteria with Hershel beside him. He was grateful for his friend coming to the hospital, a place that held quite a few bad memories for the man. He didn't want Carl to think he'd forgotten about him and he didn't want Maggie and Glenn to feel like he'd just dumped Carl with them.

He heard them before he saw them and he stopped to just take a moment and appreciate the sight of his son laughing and joking. He felt like he'd missed a lot lately and he knew he needed to try to be around more. But he felt like he'd let Hershel down if he took time away from looking for Beth. He couldn't help laughing himself as he watched Glenn shouting directions while Maggie covered her red face and Carl told Glenn that he was trying.

When he walked up behind them Carl paused the game and turned towards him with a question in his eyes. Rick let himself smile at his son, easing the worry in all of them.

"Your mom is doin' good." He told him. "They're gettin' her ready for surgery."

Carl smiled up at him and he saw his son's shoulders loosen, felt the relief spread throughout everyone.

"I'm gonna get some coffee. If you want, just for tonight, you can have some." He told him as he headed for the counter. Why not, he was thirteen after all and he'd had coffee before. It wasn't like it was his first beer.

DPOV

When Daryl woke up he immediately noticed that Beth wasn't next to him. Usually he was up before her but that was because he had work. As his mind righted itself and he took in his surroundings he realized that it was mid-morning and maybe that was the reason Beth wasn't still in bed with him. It was very possible. As he sat up he noticed a bottle of water and two white pills on the table next to the bed. So, she'd thought to take care of him when he didn't think to take care of himself. It made sense. Beth was good like that.

Swallowing the Tylenol, he shoved himself out of bed and aimed for the hallway and the bathroom beyond. He really wanted to brush his teeth. Wash his face, too. His eyes felt gritty, reminding him that he'd maybe drank a little too much the previous night at Martinez's. With a mental shrug he stumbled into the bathroom and closed the door.

When he came back out he felt a lot more human. And he noticed music coming from the direction of the kitchen. That had to be Beth. She loved music, always had it on in the background no matter what she was doing. As he stepped into the room, he wasn't surprised to see her dancing and singing as she wiped the table. Her long hair was pulled back on top but left to hang down her back. The shirt she wore was plain but it left her shoulders and back bare. It hung loose in front and her shorts were a pair of old cutoffs she'd brought with her.

As she danced in her spot he watched her bare feet tap the tile floor. Her toenails were painted a soft, peach color and for some reason the thought passed in his mind that the color suited her. Her complexion was like cream, so peaches made sense.

A beeping began and she turned smoothly, pressed a button on the oven and opened it. His stomach growled as he watched her reach for an oven mitt and pull out a pan of biscuits and place them on the counter. He saw a pot of gravy on the stovetop and realized he hadn't eaten in over twelve hours.

Beth pulled a plate from a cabinet and cut open two biscuits to place on it before drowning them in gravy. She plopped the plate onto the table she'd just been cleaning and turned to Daryl with a soft smile.

"Sit. Eat. Merle left early, skipped breakfast. He said he had someone to go see." She told him as she grabbed another plate.

She sat in front of him and bowed her head, murmuring a quick prayer, before lifting her loaded fork to her mouth. Daryl quickly dug in, hoping every weekend could be this way. Just them, eating breakfast, getting ready for their day.

"I was thinking we could go to some thrift stores. Alma told me about some that are pretty nice. I wanted to get a few things for the apartment." Beth told him as they ate.

Nodding, Daryl thought that maybe he kind of liked that idea. Them putting this place together, making it a home, maybe. They'd eventually want to move somewhere else, somewhere bigger, and he'd start looking soon. But them making something, some kind of life, together, really made him happy. He never thought he'd have that. And maybe it wouldn't last long. Good things rarely did. But he wanted it right now and he could have it. So, he'd take it. And he'd be happy.

After they finished, he helped her clean up, putting the leftover biscuits into a large Ziploc bag and the gravy into a plastic Tupperware dish. She washed the dishes as he rinsed and dried then they headed for their room to get dressed.

An idea was forming in Daryl's mind, and he wasn't sure if it was stupid or not. But breakfast and shopping and just being together. It had him thinking. He didn't have much to go on and he couldn't exactly ask anyone. Except, maybe he could. Maybe he could ask Martinez. Get his opinion because it seemed like Martinez had things figured out. With his business and his wife, his daughter. Martinez seemed to know what was worth it in life.

He felt a smile start to twitch across his lips and he wondered if Beth would be able to tell what he was thinking about. Or if, maybe, she was already thinking about it, too. They'd see. After he thought it through some more. With a sense of relief mixed with anticipation, he got dressed and headed out the door with Beth.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: I'm sorry it's been so long. I have no excuse except life. My bad. This chapter is short but it's good. I've recently started posting on AO3 under the same name and currently I'm only posting Hurt but I'll be posting my other work including a Divergent fic featuring Eric x Tris. It's not up yet but if you want, check it out, if not, don't. But I don't own any of this I just want you guys to enjoy it. Thanks for sticking around even I'm slow with updates. Enjoy!**_

BPOV

The weekend had gone too fast in Beth's opinion. She'd gone shopping with Daryl and they'd bought things to spruce up the apartment, make it more personal, and just spent time together the rest of the weekend. Merle had been in and out but only when they weren't home. The only reason she knew was because he'd left notes on the fridge saying he was fine but busy. She'd shrugged it off, knowing Merle was still feeling guilty and he was at least okay. Knowing him, he'd found someone to hook up with and Beth spared a thought for the girls she'd seen Merle go through. He always moved through the so fast and they usually seemed to know the other girls. How no one got jealous, Beth would never know. She figured that some people were just comfortable with things like that. She didn't judge.

After she'd sent Daryl off to work with his lunch and an extra pack for Merle, just in case, she got started on cleaning up. She turned the television on, figuring she should check out the news. As she moved around the room, straightening throw pillows and wiping the tables with a dust glove, the screen started flashing and she stopped to watch the update. Her heart rammed against her rib cage as she stared at the pretty news anchor's face.

_An altercation in Nettle, Tennessee two weeks ago has left two men dead and one in intensive care. According to witnesses the fight began when one of the men was seen arguing with an unidentified female. Two men and a female approached the situation and it quickly turned deadly as they left the bar. As we've reported previously, the trio fled the scene shortly after the fight began and no one at the location seemed to know them. They've been reported as being an older man in his mid-thirties to mid-forties with another man who seemed to be in his twenties and a small blonde female. All three are believed to be Caucasian and believed to be armed and extremely dangerous. If anyone has any information, the police urge them to call the number at the bottom of the screen but do not approach the suspects._

With unbelievably steady hands, Beth picked up her phone and dialed Daryl's number. She listened to it ring as she began to pace around the living room. When he didn't answer the voicemail picked up and Beth left a vague message for him to call her back immediately. After she hung up, she sent him a quick text with the same instructions and then dialed Merle's number. His phone didn't even ring and Beth felt her heart swoop down to her stomach before resuming its pounding in her chest.

She only debated her choices for a moment before rushing to her bedroom. As she threw on her jeans and a tank top she heard a knock on the door and rushed to check the peephole. Her heart stuttered before resuming its pounding as she flung the door open and threw her arms around Merle, his arms immediately wrapping around her waist. She didn't register her sobbing until she felt him squeeze her tighter.

"It's okay, Beth. It's okay." She heard him say as he lifted her feet from the floor so he could walk them both into the apartment. "Just tell me what happened."

"They're dead, Merle. Those men from Tennessee. At least two of them are dead." She cried into his shoulder as he continued to stand there and hold her.

"Shit." She heard him hiss softly. "Can you get her some water?"

At first, Beth was confused but then she realized that there was somebody with Merle. Feeling dread at a stranger hearing what she'd just said she quickly looked up to see Carol disappear around the corner into their kitchen.

"I couldn't reach you or Daryl." Beth told him as she tried to compose herself.

"How do you know this? Tell me exactly what happened." Merle told her in a calm voice as Carol returned with a bottled water. Beth took a few sips before taking some napkins from Carol and wiping her cheeks free of tears.

"Thank you." She told the older woman before turning to Merle. "It was on the news this morning. It said two men died and one is in ICU. No one knew what happened but-"

She paused as she thought about what to say next. Was it okay to speak in front of Carol? She didn't know the woman that well but Merle appeared to know her and at least trust her somewhat because he hadn't told Beth to shut up yet. When he looked between the women and then nodded at Beth she took that as her cue to resume.

"No one interviewed saw anything. That's what the news said. I don't know how much of it is true but they did say they saw two men and a woman."

With a dep breath, Beth took another drink of her water before sitting it on the coffee table and looking down at her hands. She wasn't sure if she should've freaked out or not. The news report hadn't given a lot of detail but that didn't mean that somebody didn't know more. She was mostly unnerved about the fact that two of the men had died. She didn't know those men and their lives had been taken from them because of an out of control bar fight.

"I'll call the office, get Martinez to call Daryl in so he can head home." Carol offered as she stepped back into the kitchen.

Merle's hand touching her knee brought Beth's eyes up to his. He squeezed lightly, affectionately, before pulling his hand away. "It'll be okay. We'll figure this out."

Nodding along, Beth wasn't so sure she believed that. They'd just finally settled in, they were settling into a routine and thinking about possibly building a life. At least, she was, she hadn't talked to Daryl about it yet. But would they have to run again? Would they always be running? She scrubbed her hands down her face and let out a shaky sigh as she forced the tears back down again. She knew what she was getting into when she'd asked Daryl to take her with him. When she'd begged to not be left behind again.

Without a word, she stood up and headed for the bathroom. She hadn't cried long, but her eyes still felt gritty and she wanted to wash her face. She closed and locked the bathroom door before turning the faucet on cold. She splashed her face a few times, letting the water sooth her hot skin, before shutting it off and quickly drying herself.

She didn't feel like she was ready to go back out there yet but she knew she needed to. She had to deal with this sooner or later. She'd rather face it head on. So, with a deep breath and her shoulders straightened, she walked out of the bathroom to figure out how to fix this mess her life had become.


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: I really hate updating stuff like this but I wanted to let everyone know that my two open fics are currently on a temporary hiatus. Hopefully, it won't be long but I'm a little overwhelmed by life at the moment and having a little trouble getting the right inspiration for these characters. If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me on Tumblr. Thanks for your patience and I apologize.**_


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